MY  LIFE  AND  EXPERIENCES 

AMONG 

OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS 


A    RECORD   OF 


PERSONAL    OBSERVATIONS,    ADVENTURES,    AND    CAMPAIGNS 
AMONG  THE  INDIANS  OF  THE  GREAT  WEST 


WITH   SOME  ACCOUNT   OP 


THEIR  LIFE,  HABITS,  TRAITS,  RELIGION,  CEREMONIES,  DRESS, 

SAVAGE  INSTINCTS,  AND  CUSTOMS  IN 

PEACE  AND  WAR 


BY 

MAJOR-GENERAL  O.  O.  HOWARD 

United  Statet  Army  (retired) 


Vrouttfiillg  illustrated 


WITH   PULL  PAGE   ENGRAVINGS,   CHIEFLY    FROM    PHOTOGRAPHS    SUPPLIED    BT    THE    BUREAU   OF 

ETHNOLOGY,  WASHINGTON,    AND  A   SERIES  OF   COLORED   PLATES   SHOWING   INDIAN 

OBJECTS    OF    INTEREST    AND     CURIOSITY    IN     FACSIMILE 


SOLD    ONLY  TO   rf 


HARTFORD,  CONN. 
A.  D.  WORTHINGTON  &  COMPANY 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1907, 

BY  A.   D.   WORTHINGTON   &    COMPANY, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


TO 

CAPTAIN  JOSEPH  A.  SLADEN,   UNITED  STATES  ARMY 

(Now  Clerk  of  the  United  States  Circuit  Court.} 

PORTLAND,   OREGON, 

MY  LOYAL  AND  FAITHFUL   AIDE-DE-CAMP  AND  SINCERE  AND  DEVOTED  FRIEND, 

WHO    FOR  TWENTY-THREE   YEARS  WAS  BY  MY   SIDE   THROUGH   CAM 

PAIGNS  AND     BATTLES,    RISING     FROM    A    PRIVATE     SOLDIER 

TO     HIS    PRESENT     RANK,     WHOSE     RETIREMENT     FROM 

ACTIVE     MILITARY   DUTY    WAS    THE    RESULT    OF 

LOSING   HIS     LEG     WHILE     IN     SER 

VICE  UNDER  MY   COMMAND, 


Volume  is  gffecttonatelp 

BY 

THE   AUTHOR. 


248056 


V,.}. 


IN  the  preparation  of  this  book  the  greatest  pains  have  been 
taken  to  make  it  valuable  and  interesting  as  a  pictorial 
volume ;  for  the  publishers  believed  that  it  was  worthy 
of  being  illustrated  in  the  best,  most  truthful  and  realistic 
manner.  The  old  method  of  having  artists  seize  the  general 
outline  of  a  scene,  and  by  a  few  rapid  strokes  of  a  pencil  pre 
serve  the  general  idea,  until,  in  the  studio,  leisure  was  found 
to  enlarge  the  hasty  sketch  and  reproduce  the  details  from 
memory,  has  passed  away;  the  modern  camera  has  taken  its 
place,  and  is  the  basis  of  most  of  the  illustrations  in  this 
volume. 

The  colored  plates  show  Indian  objects  of  interest  and 
curiosity  with  as  much  fidelity  to  the  originals  as  il  is  possible 
for  human  hands  to  do.  No  pains  or  expense  were  spared  to 
faithfully  portray  these  objects  in  exact  facsimile.  Many  of 
them  belong  to  the  government  and  are  on  public  exhibition 
at  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  where  they  may  be  studied  in 
glass  show-cases,  safe  from  the  despoiling  hands  of  curiosity- 
seekers  and  relic-hunters.  By  far  the  greater  number,  how 
ever,  are  carefully  stowed  away  in  boxes,  under  the  care  of 
officials,  and  prying  eyes  are  not  permitted  to  see,  much  less 
meddlesome  hands  to  handle  them.  It  was  from  this  almost 
inaccessible  collection  that  many  of  the  objects  shown  in  this 
volume  were  selected. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Many  difficulties  had  first  to  be  overcome  before  these  ob 
jects  could  be  taken  out  of  their  show-cases  and  secret  recepta 
cles,  in  order  that  photographs  might  be  made  ;  for  this  was 
the  first  step  in  the  work  of  making  the  colored  plates.  Full 
ness  of  detail  and  great  accuracy  were  absolutely  necessary,. 
and  the  aid  of  the  camera  was  indispensable.  Each  group 
was  first  photographed  collectively,  so  that  the  relative  size  of 
one  object  to  another  was  maintained.  A  set  of  these  photo 
graphs,  printed  on  paper  adapted  to  the  purpose,  was  painted 
by  accomplished  artists  from  the  objects  themselves,  a  special 
room  having  been  set  apart  and  free  use  of  the  objects  having 
been  granted  by  the  government  for  this  purpose.  Several 
months  were  required  to  make  these  paintings.  Some  of  the 
details,  especially  of  fine  beaded  work,  were  so  minute  that 
the  painting  had  frequently  to  be  done  under  strong  magni 
fying  glasses.  The  process  was  tedious  and  expensive,  re 
quiring  artistic  skill  of  the  highest  degree.  The  next  step 
was  to  engrave  these  paintings  on  stone,  an  undertaking  that 
required  months  of  labor  by  skilful  artists  and  engravers. 
There  are  fifteen  printings  on  each  plate,  and  one  engraved 
stone  is  required  for  each  color. 

It  should  be  apparent  to  the  reader,  therefore,  that  the  ut 
most  care  and  skill  were  necessary  to  produce  these  colored 
plates.  They  might  easily  have  been  slighted  and  still  pass 
current  as  attractive  pictures  ;  but  the  aim  constantly  in  view 
was  to  portray  each  object  with  fidelity  to  the  original,  pre 
serving  as  closely  as  possible  the  texture,  colors,  tints,  handi 
work,  and  natural  appearance  of  the  objects  themselves.  In 
these  respects  these  plates  have  a  value  not  often  possessed 
by  illustrations. 

Equal  care  was  taken  with  the  full-page  illustrations. 
Many  of  them  are  reproductions  from  photographs  taken  by 
government  officials  while  on  scientific  expeditions.  These 
have  been  reproduced  with  photographic  accuracy.  Some  of 
the  negatives  were  imperfect,  for  the  appliances  and  stores  of 


INTRODUCTION.  7 

even  well-equipped  government  expeditions  sometimes  fail, 
and  the  photographer  in  the  heart  of  the  mountains,  or  in  a 
hostile  Indian  camp,  far  remote  from  his  base  of  supplies, 
occasionally  meets  with  accidents  and  disappointments.  As 
sometimes  happens  in  such  cases  negatives  of  some  of  the 
groups  and  subjects  were  not  perfect  enough  to  be  reproduced 
in  half-tone,  and  these  have  been  carefully  engraved. 

The  thanks  of  the  publishers  are  due  to  all  who  have  in 
any  way  helped  them  to  produce  these  illustrations,  and 
especially  to  government  officials,  to  whose  uniform  courtesy 
they  are  indebted  for  the  use  of  instruments  and  privileges 
in  photographing  and  painting  objects  for  the  colored  plates. 
Without  their  efficient  aid  it  would  not  have  been  possible  to 
have  produced  them.  They  would  also  mention  the  late  Cap 
tain  John  G.  Bourke,  U.  S.  A.,  a  brave  and  experienced  In 
dian  fighter,  who  during  his  fatal  illness  sent  permission  to 
the  publishers  to  use  the  necklace  of  human  fingers,  a  fac 
simile  of  which  appears  in  this  volume.  Captain  Bourke 
himself  captured  this  necklace  from  the  Indians,  and  the 
story  of  its  capture  and  of  the  significance  of  this  gruesome 
object  of  Indian  barbarity  is  told  in  his  own  words.  They 
would  also  mention  Mr.  James  Mooney,  who  for  many  years 
lived  among  the  Indians  as  one  of  them,  and  who  has  con 
tributed  to  the  government  collection  many  unique  articles  of 
Indian  ornaments,  dress,  and  equipment;  he  kindly  loaned 
the  original  Indian  drawings  from  which  the  illustrations 
were  made  that  accompany  his  translation  of  the  unique  story 
of  the  Giant  Sinti. 

Taken  as  a  whole,  these  illustrations  portray  Indian  life 
and  scenes  with  fidelity  to  nature.  Some  of  the  portraits 
of  noted  Indian  warriors  were  photographed  many  years  ago 
in  their  absolutely  wild  state  amid  their  native  surroundings. 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 


AFTER  passing  the  meridian  of  life,  and  especially  when 
old  age  is  silently  creeping  upon  us  with  an  advance 
that  cannot  he  checked,  our  minds  are  wont  to  revert 
to  the  experiences  of  our  youthful  days  and  the 
years  when,  in  manhood's  prime,  no  task  was  too  formidable 
to  he  undertaken,  no  obstacle  too  great  to  he  overcome,  and 
health  and  strength  gave  keen  zest  to  the  work  in  hand.     In 
this  volume  I  have  endeavored  to  tell  the  story  of  my  life  and 
personal  experiences  among  the  Indian  tribes  with  which 
the    fortunes    of    war    brought    me    in    contact,    sometimes 
in  efforts  to  bring  about  peace,  at  other  times  in  deadly  strife 
with  a  foe  as  brave,  resourceful,  and  relentless  as  any  savage 
race  of  which  we  have  knowledge. 

In  whatever  I  have  hitherto  written  of  myself  I  have 
been  accustomed  to  present  my  experiences  in  autobiographi 
cal  form,  for  it  seems  natural  and  easy  for  me  to  do  so,  and  I 
have  adhered  to  that  plan  in  the  following  narrative.  I 
have  endeavored  to  show  how  my  grandfather's  stories  of  the 
wild  Indians  with  whom  he  had  to  do,  affected  my  child 
hood  ;  how  these  tales  became  almost  like  a  nightmare  to  me 
and  continued  to  haunt  me  even  when  I  was  a  cadet  at  West 
Point.  The  thrilling  experiences  of  old  Indian  fighters  en 
tered  into  the  lives  of,  and  were  never-ending  topics  of  discus 
sion  among  the  young  army  officers  who  were  my  companions. 
Like  Sherman  and  Thomas,  early  in  my  career  as  a  lieuten 
ant,  my  first  Indian  experiences  were  with  the  Seminoles  in 
Florida.  It  was  there  after  graduating  from  the  Military 
Academy  that  I  first  saw  actual  field  service.  Later,  some  of 
my  best  beloved  fellow  officers  were  taken  from  my  side  dur- 


PBEFACE.  9 

ing  the  great  Civil  War  and  were  hurried  off  to  the  West  and 
Northwest  to  meet  the  oft  recurring  outbreaks  of  cruel  and 
stealthy  Indians,  who  massacred  white  settlers  by  hundreds 
and  left  a  trail  of  blood  and  ashes  behind  them.  The  cam 
paigns  and  battles  of  these  officers  against  such  a  crafty  and 
elusive  foe  intensely  interested  me. 

While  I  was  Commissioner  of  freedmen,  working  from 
Washington  as  a  center,  and  deeply  engaged  in  that  work  for 
the  negroes,  as  one  might  well  be,  an  aged  Quaker  friend,  a 
noncombatant,  interviewed  the  officials  who  were  mainly  re 
sponsible  for  the  Indian  conditions  that  existed  at  that  time, 
and  entreated  that  I  should  be  sent  to  the  far  Southwest  as  a 
representative  of  the  extreme  peacemakers  of  the  country. 
This  friend  was  an  influential  member  of  the  Indian  Com 
mission,  and  the  result  of  his  appeal  was  that  I  was  detailed 
by  President  Grant  to  go  to  Arizona  and  New  Mexico, 
not  as  a  commander  of  troops  or  of  the  Department,  but  as 
a  "  Peace  Commissioner  "  with  instructions  to  assuage  dif 
ficulties  and  settle  troubles  that  had  arisen  between  various 
savage  Indian  tribes,  and  between  them  and  white  settlers. 
Some  of  the  tribes  and  bands  involved  were  the  Yumas,  the 
Maricopas,  and  the  Pimas,  who  were  just  then  being  intro 
duced  to  civilized  ways ;  the  Papagos,  who  wanted  more  land 
and  better  schools ;  the  Arivipa  Apaches,  who  had  been  mur 
derously  dealt  with  by  so-called  white  men  of  the  territory; 
the  White  Mountain  Apaches,  then  at  peace,  but  suffering 
from  disease  and  always  seemingly  on  the  verge  of  war ;  and 
the  roaming  bands  of  wild  Apaches  who  made  their  living 
principally  by  stealing  ungathered  corn  from  Mexican  in 
habitants  of  the  river  valleys  of  New  Mexico.  In  carrying 
out  my  instructions  I  was  brought  into  close  contact  with  the 
Navajos,  seven  thousand  strong,  who  had  always  quarreled 
more  or  less  with  their  Indian  neighbors,  and  who  had  been 
bitterly  complained  of  by  all  American  frontiersmen  and 
settlers  in  their  vicinity;  and  also  with  the  Chiricahuas, 
who  were  then  actively  engaged  in  war,  led  by  the  notorious 
and  bloodthirsty  Cochise,  under  whom  Apaches  kept  up 
a  constant  and  irritating  border  warfare.  Cochise's  cap 
tains  led  their  wild  bands  through  Arizona  and  New  Mexico, 
and  even  through  parts  of  Old  Mexico,  stealing  horses, 
cattle,  sheep,  and  whatever  they  could  lay  their  hands  on, 
and  waging  a  war  of  extermination  against  the  whites. 


10  PREFACE. 

They  never  spared  a  stagecoach  nor  its  passengers.  It 
was  even  said  that  only  one  white  man  among  the  many 
captives  they  had  taken  from  over-land  stagecoaches  and 
wagon  trains  was  known  to  have  escaped  death  at  their 
hands,  and  his  ascendency  over  Cochise  was  not  easily  ex 
plained. 

But  President  Grant  wanted  peace,  and  he  firmly  estab 
lished  and  developed  his  well  known  "  Peace  Policy.'7  It  took 
from  early  in  March  until  December  to  accomplish  the  task  set 
for  me  by  the  President  and  the  Indian  Department,  In  do 
ing  this  I  had  not  only  the  inertia  and  indifference  of  some 
Indians,  and  the  active  hostilities  of  others  to  contend  with, 
but  many  hindrances  from  some  of  my  old  comrades  of  the 
army,  and  the  unanimous  combined  opposition  of  the  Ameri 
can  and  Mexican  settlers  who  were  neighbors  to  the  Indian 
reservations.  I  tried  in  every  way  to  settle  these  troubles 
without  bloodshed. 

I  had  hardly  finished  my  work  in  the  East  as  Commis 
sioner  of  Freedmen  and  Refugees,  when  I  was  hastened  off 
to  the  extreme  Northwest,  where  my  first  duty  was  to  take 
care  of  Modoc  prisoners.  Next  I  visited  the  tribes  of 
Alaska  and  the  Pacific  Coast;  then  came  remarkable  experi 
ences  with  the  Columbia  Eiver  Indians  and  their  allied 
bands,  followedl)y  the  notable  and  no  less  arduous  Nez  Perce 
campaign.  In  peace  the  non-treaty  Nez  Perces  were  restless 
and  fretful ;  in  war  none  fought  with  greater  bravery ;  nor  do 
I  believe  that  any  other  body  of  Indians  was  ever  more  ably 
led  than  they  under  Chief  Joseph,  who  displayed  consum 
mate  generalship  in  his  conduct  of  that  campaign.  As  a 
consequence  of  this  campaign,  the  Bannocks  and  Pi-Utes 
subsequently  waged  a  bloody  war  of  depredation  and  murder 
that  tested  the  endurance  of  our  troops  in  long  forced  marches 
and  swift  racings  through  almost  endless  wastes  and  forests- 
These  bloody  wars  involved  directly  and  indirectly  many 
other  Indian  tribes,  such  as  the  Flat-heads,  the  Shoshones,  the 
Snakes,  the  Crows,  and  others. 

To  me,  the  most  satisfactory  operation  in  the  Northwest 
was  inaugurated  by  a  very  small  band  of  savage  Indians  near 
the  head  waters  of  the  Salmon  river.  In  this  campaign  I  did 
not  take  the  field,  but  my  trusted  subordinates  subdued  the  In 
dians,  captured  the  whole  tribe,  and  brought  them  down  the 
Columbia  river  to  my  headquarters,  which  were  then  near 


PREFACE.  11 

Vancouver  Barracks.  Here  we  had  the  opportunity  of  ap 
plying  the  processes  of  civilization,  namely,  systematic  work 
and  persistent  instruction  to  Indian  children  and  youth. 
These  Indians  were  well  fitted  to  abandon  their  tepees  and 
blankets,  dress  as  white  men,  and  join  the  civilized  Warm 
Spring  Indians  who  dwelt  just  beyond  the  Dalles  of  the 
Columbia.  In  this  work  of  preparation,  or  I  may  say  of 
probation,  the  young  Indian  princess,  Sarah  Winnemucca,  - 
of  whom  I  shall  have  something  to  say  in  this  volume,  —  was 
my  interpreter,  and  bore  a  prominent  and  efficient  part. 

It  is  often  said  that  the  Indian  child,  even  after 
receiving  the  best  education  that  we  can  give,  will  re 
turn  to  barbarism  at  the  first  good  opportunity.  It  is  a 
fact  that  some  Indian  children  and  youth  do  go  back  to  the 
blanket  and  their  wild  life.  How  can  they  help  it?  I 
think  if  I  should  dwell  a  year  or  two  with  any  savage  tribe 
I  should  live  as  they  live;  I  should  dress  as  they  dress;  I 
should  reside  as  they  do  in  tepees  or  lodges,  and  not  in 
houses ;  and  I  should  probably  eat  out  of  the  common  pot,  and 
be,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  an  Indian.  Those  who  have 
been  the  most  successful  in  civilizing  Indians,  brought  about 
a  gradual  separation  from  savage  ways  of  living  and  intro 
duced  various  peaceful  industries  among  them.  It  was  a 
necessity.  There  is  no  virtue  that  I  have  not  seen  exem 
plified  in  some  of  the  different  Indian  tribes  with  which  I 
had  to  do.  As  a  rule,  they  kept  their  promises  to  me  with 
wonderful  fidelity,  often  putting  themselves  to  extraordinary 
exertion  and  peril. 

The  writing  of  this  book  has  brought  to  the  surface  a 
flood  of  recollections  of  those  exciting  days,  and  again  thrown 
into  strong  light  many  incidents  which  at  the  time  in 
tensely  interested  me.  Indian  life,  as  I  observed  it  then,  * 
always  afforded  me  enjoyment,  Yet,  when  I  glance  back 
ward  over  the  field  of  my  dealings  with  hostile  Indians,! 
I  reckon  my  experiences  as  President  Grant's  Peace  Com 
missioner,  as  the  most  trying;  but  thanks  to  Divine  help, 
which  I  love  to  recognize  and  acknowledge,  the  strenuous 
efforts  then  put  forth  resulted  in  great  success.  President 
Grant's  peace  policy  was  made  to  prevail.  At  the  close 
of  that  year  I  believe  that  all  our  Indian  tribes  were  at 
peace,  though  they  did  not  long  remain  so,  as  will  be  seen 
from  the  stirring  events  set  forth  in  the  following  pages. 


12  PREFACE. 

Some  of  the  seed  of  the  outbreaks  that  followed  were  already 
germinating,  and  subsequently  sprang  into  vigorous  life  in 
spite  of  every  effort  of  the  administration  to  suppress  them. 

It  has  been  my  aim  to  give  to  the  world  a  connected  and 
comprehensive  narrative  of  varied  experiences  with  these 
Indians,  with  some  account  of  life  as  I  observed  it  among 
them  in  peace  and  war,  together  with  as  much  history  of 
some  of  them  as  my  personal  knowledge  would  justify.  We 
must  always,  when  we  glance  at  the  low,  the  vile,  and  the  bad, 
get  our  eyes  as  quickly  as  possible  away  and  fix  them  upon 
the  high,  the  beautiful,  and  the  good,  and  remember  that, 
by  God's  help  in  Christ,  we  can  elevate  men  to  the  noblest. 


Jfrom  special  pbotograpbs   supplfel>  bv>  tbe  TUniteb  States  JBureau  of  ]£tbnologs  ano 
from  otber  aouices,  reprotwceb  (n  facsimile  erpressls  for  tbis  boofe. 

1  PORTRAIT  OF  MAJOR-GENERAL  0.  O.  HOWARD    Frontispiece 

2  ORNAMENTAL  HEADING  TO  INTRODUCTION 5 

3  ORNAMENTAL  HEADING  TO  PREFACE    ......         8 

4  ORNAMENTAL  HEADING  TO  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  .        .        .13 

5  ORNAMENTAL  HEADING  TO  CONTENTS 23 

6  COLORED  PLATE   I To  face       46 

Boy's  Buckskin  Shirt;  Girl's  Buckskin  Beaded  Leggings; 
Belt,  Pouches,  etc. 

7  COLORED  PLATE  II To  face       78 

Dolls,  Male  and  Female,  of  Various  Tribes;  Doll  Warriors, 
Toys,  etc. 

8  AN  INDIAN  ARTIST  AT  WORK  IN  HIS  LODGE  PAINTING 

A  BUFFALO  ROBE To  face     106 

9  ON  THE  MARCH  — UNITED  STATES  CAVALRY  CROSS 

ING  THE  GREAT  PLAINS To  face     132 

10  COLORED   PLATE   III To  face     158 

War   and    Ceremonial    Tomahawks,    Clubs,    Slung    Shots, 
War  Weapons,  etc. 

11  COLORED   PLATE    IV To  face     200 

Red  Cloud's  Buckskin  War  Shirt  Ornamented  with  Human 
Scalps  and  Beads;   Beaded  Leggings  and  Moccasins. 

12  COMANCHE,  KIOWA,  AND  NAVAJO  CHILDREN     To   face     216 

NAVAJO  BOY  —  COMANCHE  GIRLS  —  KIOWA  GIRLS. 

13  INDIANS  RETURNING  TO  THEIR  CAMPS  FROM  A  FALL 

BUFFALO  HUNT To  face    240 


14  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

14  COLORED  PLATE  V To   face     260 

War  and  Sacred  Shields ;  Beaded  Blanket  Band ;  Woman's 
Belt,  Warrior's  Disk  Strap,  Head  Dress,  etc. 

15  PURSUED  — A   BAND   OF   INDIANS  CHASING   A   PONY 

EXPRESS  RIDER  .         .         .         .         .         .To   fact     280 

16  INDIAN  METHOD  OF  ATTACKING  OVERLAND  WAGON 

TRAINS To  face     328 

(1)  CIRCLING  AROUND  A  WAGON  TRAIN  THAT  HAS  GONE 

INTO  CORRAL  FOR  DEFENSE. 

(2)  LYING  IN  AMBUSH  WTHILE  WATCHING  AN  APPROACH 

ING  WAGON  TRAIN. 

17  COLORED  PLATE  VI To  face     346 

Girl's  Buckskin  Beaded  Clothes  Bag;  Garters;  Toilet 
and  Tobacco  Pouches;  Moccasins,  Needle  Case,  Fire 
Bag,  etc. 

18  COLORED  PLATE  VII To  face     366 

War  Bonnet  of  Red  Flannel  Ornamented  With  Scalp 
Locks,  Eagle  Feathers  and  Buffalo  Horns;  Pipes, 
Flutes,  etc. 

(1)   DISMOUNTED  UNITED  STATES  CAVALRY 
,  REPULSING  MOUNTED  WARRIORS 

<   (2)   UNITED    STATES ,  TROOPS    AND    SCOUTS 

SURPRISING  A  BODY  OF  INDIANS          .     To   face     384 

20  NOTORIOUS     INDIAN    RAIDERS     AND     FREEBOOTERS 

To   face     410 

"  White  Horse  "  —  Kiowa,  a  Notorious  Raider  killed  in 
1893  —  "  Always  Riding  "  —  A  Ute  Raider  —  Old 
Navajo  Warrior  With  Lance  and  Shield. 

21  GROUP  OF  KOOTENAI  INDIANS  AND  THEIR  CAMP  — 

IDAHO To  face     422 

22  WARRIORS    CHARGING   AROUND   THE    SUN   POLE  — A 

SCENE  AT  THE  GREAT  SUN  DANCE  '      .         .To   face     460 

23  COLORED    PLATE    VIII To  face     468 

Facsimile  of  an  Original  Indian  Drawing  of  a  Ceremonial 
Dance  —  Shows  facial  decoration  drawn  with  colored 
crayons  and  pencils  by  Big  Back,  a  Cheyenne. 

24  THE    BATTLEFIELD    OF    WOUNDED    KNEE,    SHOWING 

DEAD  WARRIORS  JUST  AS  THEY  FELL  .         .     To  face     474 

25  THE  BATTLEFIELD  OF  WOUNDED  KNEE  AFTER  THE 

BLIZZARD,  THREE  DAYS  AFTER  THE  FIGHT,  SHOW 
ING  INDIAN  WOMEN  AND  CHILDREN  JUST  AS  THEY 
FELL To  face  478 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS.  15 

26  BURIAL    OF    INDIANS    KILLED    IN    THE    BATTLE    OF 

WOUNDED    KNEE To  face     484 

27  FACSIMILE  OF  AN  INDIAN  DRAWING  BY  RED  HORSE, 

A  SIOUX,  SHOWING  GENERAL  OUSTER'S  TROOPS 
CHARGING  AN  INDIAN  CAMP  IN  THE  BATTLE  OF 
THE  LITTLE  BIG  HORN To  face  496 

28  FACSIMILE  OF  AN  INDIAN  DRAWING  BY  RED  HORSE, 

A  SIOUX,  SHOWING  THE  SIOUX  FIGHTING  CUSTER'S 
BATTALION  IN  THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  LITTLE  BIG 

HORN To  face     500 

Red  Horse  was  present  at  the  battle.  In  his  drawing  he 
shows  dead  soldiers  in  the  foreground  with  limbs  and 
heads  cut  off,  and  the  bodies  otherwise  mutilated. 
Bugles,  hats,  and  flags  are  scattered  around,  some  of 
the  wounded  cavalrymen  are  shown  falling  from  their 
horses.  Wounds  are  generally  indicated  by  spots  from 
which  blood  is  flowing.  One  cavalryman  is  shot  in  the 
mouth  with  an  arrow.  The  drawing  will  repay  careful 
study. 

(1)  THE  KNOLL  ON  THE  BATTLEFIELD  OF  THE 
LITTLE  BIG  HORN  WHERE  GENERAL  CUSTER 
AND  HIS  MEN  FELL  AND  WERE  BURIED  . 

The  cross  marks  the  spot  where  General  Custer  fell. 
Gravestones  mark  the  places  where  some  of  his  soldiers 
fell  around  him.     General  Custer's  monument  is  at  the 
top  of  the  knoll.     One  hundred  and  ninety-two  soldiers 
killed  in  this  battle  are  buried  on  this  spot. 
(2)    SOLDIERS'     CEMETERY    ON     CUSTER'S    BATTLE 
FIELD  

The  remains  of  one  hundred  and  six  soldiers  mas 
sacred  by  Indians  at  Fort  Phil.  Kearney  were  removed 
to  Custer's  battlefield  and  buried  on  this  spot.  The 
white  spots  in  the  distance  mark  places  where  some  of 
Custer's  men  fell  at  the  battle  of  the  Little  Big  Horn. 

To   face     506 

30  NOTED  CHEYENNE  INDIANS  IN  THEIR  WILD  STATE 

To   face     510 
PLENTY  HORSES  —  LITTLE  CHIEF  —  STARVING  ELK 

31  COMMUNICATION  BY  SIGNS         ....     To   face     534 

( 1 )  FRIEND  OR  FOE  ?  —  "  STANDING  OFF  "  INDIANS 

(2)  A   POWWOW    WITH    THE   CHEYENNES   IN   THE    SlGN 

LANGUAGE 


16  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

32  COLORED  PLATE  IX To  face     544 

( 1 )  Necklace  of  Human  Fingers,  Arrow  Heads  and  Teeth, 
Attached  to  a  Beaded  Buckskin  Collar. 

(2)  Necklace  Made  of  the  First  Joints  of  Human  Fingers. 

33  THE  GIANT  SINTI  FOOLING  THE  PRAIRIE  DOGS    .         .     554 

"  Doggies,  doggies,  whisk  your  tails  just  the  way  I  say." 

34  THE  LAME  COYOTE  FOOLING  THE  GIANT  SINTI    .         .     556 

35  COLORED  PLATE  X To  face     556 

Indian    and    White    Scalps,    Scalping    Knives,    Sheaths, 
Bow,  Bow-Case  and  Quiver,  Arrows,  etc. 

36  AN  INDIAN  HORSE  RACE  — THE  FINISH  To  face    564 


LIST 


OF 


CHROMO-LITHOGRAPH   PLATES 


WITH 


Descriptions  anD  <£rpianarion£ 


[For  a  description  of  how  these  plates  were  made  see  the  Publisher's  Preface.} 


PLATE  I. 


To   face   page   46 


BOY'S    BUCKSKIN    SHIRT;   GIRL'S    BUCKSKIN   BEADED 
LEGGINGS;    BELT,     POUCHES,   ETC. 

1.     IROQUOIS  MOCCASINS. 

Made  of  cloth,  bound  with  silk,  and  handsomely  ornamented  with 
beads. 

^OWA  BOY'S  BUCKSKIN  SHIRT. 

An  exceedingly  handsome  specimen.  Made  of  buckskin  tanned 
as  soft  as  velvet.  The  erect  flap  at  the  top  was  worn  turned 
down  over  the  back  of  the  wearer. 

3.  KIOWA  GIRL'S  LEATHER  BELT. 

Ornamented  with  silver  disks.  To  the  belt  is  attached  toilet 
and  umbilical  pouches. 

4.  CHEYENNE  GIRL'S  BUCKSKIN  LEGGINGS. 

Handsomely   ornamented   with   beads. 

5.  KIOWA  GIRL'S  BUCKSKIN  LEGGINGS  WITH  MOCCASINS  ATTACHED. 

Handsomely  ornamented  with  beads  and  metal  disks.  These  leg 
gings  are  of  a  different  pattern  from  those  shown  in  No.  4. 

6.  APACHE  POUCH. 

Decorated  with  original  designs. 

7.  APACHE  POUCH. 

Beautifully  ornamented  with  quills. 

2 


18  LIST  OF  CHROMO-LITHOORAPH-PLATES. 

PLATE     II.  To  face  page  78 

DOLLS,   MALE    AND    FEMALE,   OF   VARIOUS    TRIBES, 
DOLL   WARRIORS,   TOYS,   ETC. 

1.  INDIAN  DOLL  WITH  WOODEN  HEAD. 

Dressed    in    buckskin,    and   ornamented    with    beads.     Tribe    un 
known. 

2.  KIOWA  DOLL  WARRIOR  MOUNTED  ON  A  DOLL  HORSE. 

The  doll  is  dressed  in  fringed  buckskin  ;  the  horse  is  made  of  soft 
buckskin,  and  is  stuffed  with  horsehair. 

3.  Sioux  DOLL  WARRIOR. 

Dressed  in  buckskin  and  pieces  of  flannel ;   equipped  with  a  minia 
ture  bow-case  and  quiver ;  scalp  lock  carefully  braided. 

4.  PUEBLO  FEMALE  DOLL. 

Made  of  clay,  with  hideously  painted  face  ;  dressed  in  pieces  of 
flannel ;  head  ornamented  with  tufts  of  horsehair. 

5.  CHEYENNE  MALE  DOLL. 

Dressed  in  buckskin,  calico,  and  flannel ;  scalp  lock  attached. 

6.  PRAIRIE  INDIAN  FEMALE  DOLL. 

Dressed  in  soft  buckskin  ;  profusely  ornamented  with  beads. 

7.  CHEYENNE  DOLL. 

Dressed  in  buckskin  and  calico. 

PLATE       III.  To  face  page  158 

WAR   AND    CEREMONIAL  TOMAHAWKS,  CLUBS,  SLING 
SHOTS,  WAR  WEAPONS,  ETC. 

1.  WAR  CLUB  WITH  BLADE  INSERTED  AT  THE  HEAD. 

Ornamented  with  scalp  locks  at  the  top,  and  fur  and  beaded  flan 
nel  at  the  bottom  ;  handle  studded  with  brass  nails. 

2.  APACHE  SLING  SHOT. 

The  head  is  made  of  a  round  stone  encased  in  rawhide  ;  the  han 
dle  is  ornamented  with  part  of  a  horse's  tail. 

3.  CHEYENNE  WAR  TOMAHAWTK. 

To  the  handle  is  attached  a  piece  of  flannel  ornamented  with 
feathers.  This  is  a  real  war  weapon,  and  differs  from  the 
tomahawk  pipe  which  has  a  bowl  at  the  head  for  tobacco,  and 
a  perforated  handle  through  which  to  draw  the  smoke. 

4.  GENUINE  WAR  TOMAHAWK.    Tribe  unknown. 

5.  PIEGAN  TOMAHAWK  PIPE. 

Has  a  hollow  head  for  holding  tobacco  ;  the  handle  is  perforated 
so  that  smoke  can  be  drawn  through ;  to  the  handle  is  at 
tached  a  fringed  piece  of  leather  elaborately  beaded. 

6.  GENUINE  WAR  TOMAHAWK.    Tribe  unknown. 

7.  STONE  WAR  CLUB. 

The  head  is  of  stone,  shaped  by  the  Indians,  and  bound  with  raw 
hide  to  the  handle ;  bottom  of  handle  is  ornamented  with  scalp 
locks,  horsehir,  and  feathers. 


LIST  OF  CHROMO-LITHOGRAPH-PLATES.  1 

8.  GENUINE  WAH  TOMAHAWK.     Tribe  unknown. 

9.  WAR  KNIFE  TAKEN  FROM  THE  ROGUE  RIVER  INDIANS. 

10.  GENUINE  WAR  TOMAHAWK.     Tribe  unknown. 

11.  STONE  WAR  CLUB. 

Ornamented  with  braided  scalp  locks. 

12.  WAR  CLUB  WITH  SPIKED  WOODEN  HEAD. 

13.  WAR  CLUB  WITH  SPIKED  WOODEN  HEAD. 

14.  SPOKANE  INDIAN  CLUB. 

15.  ARAPAHOE  TOMAHAWK  PIPE. 

16.  WAR  CLUB  WITH  BARBED  SPIKES. 

PLATE      IV.  To  face  page  200 

RED    CLOUD'S    BUCKSKIN   WAR    SHIRT,  ORNAMENTED 

WITH   HUMAN   SCALPS    AND    BEADS;   BEADED 

LEGGINGS  AND  MOCCASINS. 

1.  WAR  SHIRT  OF  RED  CLOUD,  THE  FAMOUS  Sioux  CHIEF. 

This  is  one  of  the  finest  specimens  of  an  Indian  war  shirt  in  ex 
istence.  It  is  made  of  soft  buckskin,  beautifully  tanned  and 
dyed,  and  is  elaborately  ornamented  with  beads.  It  is  decorated 
with  an  extraordinary  number  of  human  scalps. 

2.  NEZ  PERCES  BEADED  MOCCASINS. 

Made  of  buckskin  and  ornamented  with  beads. 

3.  KIOWA-APACHE  BUCKSKIN  BEADED  LEGGINGS. 

These  leggings  are  remarkably  fine  specimens,  and  are  very  pro 
fusely  and  handsomely  decorated  with  beads. 

4.  KIOWA  BOY'S  BEADED  MOCCASINS. 

Beautifully  ornamented  with  beads  and  rich  in  color. 

PLATE  V.  T°  facc  vw*  26° 


WAR  AND   SACRED    SHIELDS;    BEADED    BLANKET 

BAND;   WOMAN'S   BELT;   WARRIOR'S   DISK 

STRAP;   HEADDRESS,   ETC. 

1.  FANCY  BEADED  BLANKET  BAND. 

2.  ARAPAHOE  WAR  SHIELD. 

Ornamented    with    eagle    feathers    and    panther    claws.     Indian 
drawings  and  symbols  are  shown  on  the  face  of  the  shield. 

3.  KIOWA  WARRIOR'S  DISK  STRAP. 

Made  of  leather,  to  which  are  attached  silver  disks.  These  orna 
mented  straps  were  usually  fastened  to  the  scalp  lock  and  left 
hanging  down  the  back.  They  were  frequently  worn  in  battle. 


20  LIST  OF  CHROMO-LITHOGRAPH-PLATES. 

4.  WOMAN'S  BEADED  LEATHER  BELT  WITH  HANGING  STRAP,  ORNA 

MENTED  WITH  SILVER  DISKS. 
To  the  belt  is  attached  a  toilet  pouch,  awl  and  needle-case. 

5.  KIOWA  CEREMONIAL  HEADDRESS. 

Made  of  bristles  of  turkey  beard  and  hair  of  the  elk  dyed  red ; 

ornamented  with  ribbons  and  eagle  feathers. 
G.     KIOWA  SACRED  SHIELD. 

A  perfect  facsimile  of  the  most  sacred  shield  of  the  Kiowas,  dedi 
cated  to  the  "  Taime  "  spirit  or  Sun  God,  and  painted  with 
symbolical  figures  of  the  sun  and  moon ;  ornamented  with  the 
carcass  of  a  crow  and  claws  of  a  panther.  This  shield  was  for 
merly  owned  by  the  Kiowa  Medicine  Chief,  Thunder,  and  was 
with  great  difficulty  procured  by  Mr.  James  Mooney  and  by  him 
presented  to  the  government. 

PLATE      VI.  To  face  page  346 

GIRL'S  BUCKSKIN  BEADED   CLOTHES  BAG;   GARTERS; 

TOILET  AND  TOBACCO  POUCHES;   MOCCASINS, 

NEEDLE  CASE,   FIRE   BAG,   ETC. 

1.  KIOWA  MOCCASINS. 

Made  of  soft  buckskin,  beautifully  colored  and  ornamented  with 
beads  and  fringe. 

2.  KIOWA  BEADED  FIRE  BAG. 

Used  for  carrying  flint,  steel,  and  tinder. 

3.  CHEYENNE  TOILET  POUCH. 

Made  of  the  skin  of  a  calf's  head. 

4.  SANTEE-SIOUX  BEADED  GARTERS. 

These  garters  were  obtained  from  a  wounded  survivor  of  the 
battle  of  Wounded  Knee.  They  are  beautiful  specimens  of 
fine  bead  work. 

5.  BEADED  BUCKSKIN  CLOTHES  BAG. 

A  very  unique  and  handsome  specimen.  It  is  made  of  soft  buck 
skin,  and  is  elaborately  ornamented  with  beads.  Used  by  Indian 
girls  as  a  receptacle  for  their  clothes  and  personal  belongings. 

6.  ORNAMENTED  TOBACCO  POUCH. 

A   handsome   specimen   from  the  Plains   Indians.     Tribe   unknown. 

7.  BEADED  BAG. 

Supposed  to  be  a  tobacco  pouch.  Made  of  soft  buckskin,  and 
handsomely  ornamented  with  beads.  Tribe  unknown. 

8.  KIOWA  MOCCASINS. 

Richly  colored  and  profusely  ornamented  with  beads  and  fringe. 

9.  CROW  BEADED  TOBACCO  POUCH. 

Made  of  soft  buckskin,  handsomely  ornamented  with  beads. 

10.  Sioux  TOBACCO  POUCH. 

A  fine  specimen,  decorated  with  beads  and  porcupine  quills. 

11.  KIOWA  GIRL'S  PERFUME  POUCH. 

Also  frequently  used  to  carry  simple  toilet  articles. 


LIST  OF  CHROMO-LITHOGRAPH-PLATES.  21 

PLATE        VII.  To  face  page  366 

WAR  BONNET  OF   RED  FLANNEL  ORNAMENTED  WITH 

SCALP   LOCKS,   EAGLE   FEATHERS,   AND   BUFFALO 

HORNS;  PIPES,  FLUTES,  ETC. 

1.  DANCE  STAFF. 

Commonly  carried  iu  the  hands  while  dancing. 

2.  SUPERB  WAR  BONNET. 

Ornamented  with  buffalo  horns  and  eagle  feathers  attached  to 
red  flannel. 

3.  COMMON  TOMAHAWK  PIPE. 

4.  COMMON  RED  CLAY  PIPE. 

5.  ELABORATE  PEACE  PIPE. 

6.  KIOWA  FLUTE. 

Made  of  two  pieces  of  hollow  wood  fastened  together  with  thongs. 

7.  CADDO  FLUTE. 

8.  INDIAN  WHISTLE. 

Made  of  the  wing  bone  of  an  eagle.  These  whistles  are  fre 
quently  carried  in  the  Sun  Dance,  and  blown  incessantly  by 
the  dancers. 

9.  RED  CLAY  PIPE. 

PLATE     VIII.  To  face  page  468 

FACSIMILE  OF  AN  ORIGINAL   INDIAN  DRAWING  OF  A 
CEREMONIAL  DANCE. 

Drawn  with  colored  crayons  and  pencils  by  Big  Back,  a  Chey 
enne.  It  shows  facial  decoration  in  various  designs  and  colors 
intended  to  make  the  face  as  hideous  as  possible. 

PLATE    IX.  To  face  page  544 

1.  NECKLACE  OF  HUMAN  FINGERS,  ARROW  HEADS  AND 
TEETH,  ATTACHED  TO  BEADED  BUCKSKIN  COLLAR. 

Made  of  human  fingers  attached  to  a  beaded  buckskin  collar, 
ornamented  with  medicine  arrows,  medicine  bags,  and  human 
teeth.  To  the  collar  are  attached  eight  left-hand  middle 
fingers  of  Indians  of  hostile  tribes,  killed  by  High  Wolfe,  a 
Cheyenne.  This  last  ghastly  trophy  of  his  prowess  was  worn 
by  him  as  evidence  of  the  number  of  the  enemy  he  had  killed. 
It  was  captured  by  Capt.  John  G.  Bourke,  U.  S.  A.,  an  experi 
enced  Indian  fighter,  who  loaned  it  to  the  publishers  for  re 
production  in  this  book.  Capt.  Bourke  died  while  this  volume 
was  in  press.  A  full  account  of  the  necklace  and  its  capture 
is  given  in  Chapter  XXVIII  in  Capt.  Bourke's  own  words. 

2.  NECKLACE  MADE  OF  THE  FIRST  JOINTS  OF  HUMAN 
FINGERS  ATTACHED  TO  A  LEATHER  COLLAR. 

The  history  of  this  necklace  is  unknown.  It  is  supposed  that 
each  one  of  the  nineteen  finger  joints  represents  a  human  life. 
To  whom  the  necklace  belonged,  or  from  what  tribe  it  was 
taken,  and  by  whom,  is  unknown. 


22  LIST  OF  CHROMO-LITHOGRAPH-PLATES. 

PLATE  X.  TO  face  page  $™ 

INDIAN    AND  WHITE    SCALPS,    SCALPING    KNIVES, 

SHEATHS,  BOW,  BOW  CASE  AND  QUIVER, 

ARROWS,  ETC. 

1.  MEDICINE  ARROW. 

To  it  are  attached  two  closely  braided  scalp  locks,  fastened  to 
beaded  disks. 

2.  SCALPING  KNIFE  SHEATH. 

Handsomely   ornamented   with   beads.      Northern   Plains    Indians. 

3.  SCALP  OF  A  BLACKFOOT  INDIAN. 

A  study  of  the  scalp  will  show  how  the  Indians  divided  a  single 
scalp  into  many  scalp  locks,  which  were  used  in  ornamenting 
war  shirts,  war  bonnets,  and  for  other  purposes.  A  single 
scalp  was  frequently  divided  into  a  dozen  or  more  scalp  locks. 
Each  lock  does  not,  as  is  popularly  supposed,  represent  one 
dead  person,  but  might  be  only  one  of  many  locks  of  the  same 
scalp. 

4.  Sioux  BUCKSKIN  QUIVER  AND  BOW-CASE. 

A  handsome  specimen,  richly  ornamented  with  quills,  and  filled 
with  arrows. 

5.  SCALPING  KNIFE  SHEATH. 

Sioux.     Handsomely  ornamented  with  beads. 

6.  CHEYENNE  SCALP. 

This  scalp  is  stretched  within  a  small  hoop  and  shows  how  scalps 
were  prepared  for  the  scalp  dance.  After  being  stretched  in 
this  manner,  they  were  carried  aloft  on  poles  during  the  dance, 
usually  by  women. 

7.  Sioux  Bow. 

This  bow  belongs  to  outfit  No.  4. 

8.  SCALPING  KNIFE. 

0.     WHITE  MAN'S  SCALP  WITH  COMB  ATTACHED. 

This  scalp  was  taken  from  the  Sioux  and  is  stretched  on  a 
wooden  frame  ornamented  with  fur.  The  comb  attached  was 
probably  taken  from  the  body  of  the  victim.  The  scalp  is 
shown  just  as  prepared  for  the  scalp  dance. 

10.  AN  INDIAN  CAP  OR  HEADDRESS. 

11.  SCALPING  KNIFE. 

12.  SCALPING  KNIFE. 

13.  SCALPING  KNIFE  SHEATH. 

From   the   Plains   Indians.     Handsomely  ornamented   with   beads. 

14.  CARTRIDGE  BELT,  SCALPING  KNIFE  AND  SHEATH. 

Taken  from  the  Kiowas.  This  outfit  has  evidently  seen  much 
service,  and  was  probably  captured  by  them  from  a  white  trap 
per  or  plainsman.  The  sheath  is  studded  with  brass  nails. 

15.  SCALPING  KNIFE  SHEATH. 

Taken   from  the   Sioux. 
10.     WAR  AND  HUNTING  ARROWS. 

These  are  specimens  from  the  quiver  No.  4. 

17.  RAWHIDE  WHIP  OR  QUIRT. 

A  severe  instrument  in  the  hands  of  Indians,  who  belabored 
their  animals  unmercifully  with  it.  Also  used  in  many  of 
their  ceremonies. 

18.  SCALPING  KNIFE  SHEATH. 


CHAPTER  I. 

MY    BOYHOOD    AND    EARLY    HOME  —  SCHOOL    AND    COLLEGE 

DAYS  —  APPOINTED  AS  A  CADET  TO  WEST  POINT 

MILITARY  ACADEMY. 

Looking  Backward  —  Recollections  of  my  Parents  —  Grandfather's 
Chimney  Corner  —  The  Old  Home  in  Maine  —  Listening  to  Grand 
father's  Indian  Tales  —  My  Father's  Death  —  Working  as  Man-of- 
all-Work  for  my  Board  —  Attending  the  Village  School  —  Entering 
Bowdoin  College  —  Appointed  as  a  Cadet  to  West  Point  —  A  Mo 
mentous  Step  —  Going  Forth  into  the  World  —  Arrival  at  West 
Point  —  Warned  to  Dispense  with  my  Silk  Hat  and  Cane  —  "  Stand 
Straight,  Sir !  "  —  Reminiscences  of  West  Point,  .  .39 

CHAPTER  II. 

CHASING  INDIANS  THROUGH  THE  EVERGLADES  OF  FLORIDA 

—  INDIAN  FIGHTERS  WHO  AFTERWARDS  BECAME  GREAT 

MILITARY  LEADERS  IN  THE  CIVIL  WAR. 

The  Story  of  Major  Dade  —  Indian  Campaigns  in  Florida  —  General 
Sherman's  Early  Indian  Experiences  —  In  the  Heart  of  the  Ever 
glades  —  A  Sudden  and  Unexpected  Attack  —  Massacre  of  Major 
Dade  and  His  Command  —  Viewing  the  Slain  and  Mutilated  Bodies 
of  Our  Troops  —  Defeat  and  Flight  of  the  Indians  —  My  First  Meet 
ing  with  General  George  H.  Thomas  —  Some  of  His  Early  Indian 
Experiences  —  His  Own  Account  of  a  "  Scout "  against  the  Apaches 
—  Pulling  Arrows  out  of  His  Own  Flesh  —  His  Unwavering  Loyalty 
to  the  Union,  .  . 59 


24  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEE  III. 

GRADUATING    FROM    WEST    POINT  — MY    MARRIAGE  —  FIRST 

CALL  TO  ACTIVE  DUTY  —  BREAKING  UP  OUR 

HOUSEHOLD. 

My  Graduation  from  West  Point  —  A  Memorable  Year  —  My  Marriage 

—  Settling  our  Home  —  First  Sudden  Call  to  Duty  —  The  Conster 
nation    it    Occasioned  —  Scattering    of    the    Family  —  Ordered    to 
Florida  —  A  Renowned   Indian   Fighter  —  The   Seminoles  —  Hiding 
in    the    Great    Cypress    Swamps  — "  Billy    Bowlegs,"    the    Chosen 
Seminole  Leader  —  Raiding  the   Settlements  —  An  Amusing  Inter 
preter  —  Meeting  Young  Officers  Who  Were  Afterwards  Generals  in 
the  Civil  War  —  Recollections  of  Them —  A  Crazy  Soldier  and  an 
Unpleasant  Episode  —  An  Undignified  Escape  from  Indiana,       .     73 

CHAPTER  IV. 

CAMPAIGNING   AGAINST   THE    SEMINOLES  —  INCIDENTS   AND 
EXPERIENCES  OF  MY  ARMY  LIFE  IN  FLORIDA. 

Breakfasting  with  General  Harney  — "  Mr.  Howard,  you  will  be  my 
Chief  of  Ordnance  " —  Becoming  Accustomed  to  my  Surroundings 

—  A  Pleasant  Resort  —  Mustering  Volunteers  into  Service  —  Gen 
eral    Harney   Relieved    from   Command  — "  We    Haven't   Lost   any 
Indians  "  —  Dislike  of  the  Regulars   for  Indian  Service  —  Chasing 
Indians  from  Place  to  Place  —  Seeking  Peace  —  Ordered  to   Find 
"  Billy  Bowlegs  "  —  A  Journey  into  the  Interior  —  New  and  Fresh 
Experiences  —  A  Nap  Better  than  a  Toddy  —  Great  Stature  of  the 
Seminoles  —  Their  Physical  Superiority  over  other  Indians  —  Semi 
nole  Women  —  Making  a  "  Good  Peace," 86 

CHAPTER  V. 

SKETCH  OF  MY  MILITARY  CAREER  DURING  THE  CIVIL  WAR 

-ATTITUDE  OF  OUR  WILD  INDIANS  DURING 

THAT  PERIOD. 

On  Duty  at  West  Point  as  Instructor  in  Mathematics  —  A  Congenial 
Position  —  Thoughts  of  Entering  the  Gospel  Ministry  —  Fall  of  Fort 
Sumter  —  Opening  of  the  Civil  War  —  Solving  Some  Personal  Prob 
lems —  I  Become  Colonel  of  a  Maine  Regiment  —  Rapid  Promotion 

—  Active  Military  Service  —  Restless  and  Troublesome  Indians  — 
Condition  of  Affairs  in  the  Indian  Territory  —  Recruiting  Indians 
for  the  Confederate ,  Army  —  An  Important  Treaty  —  Effect  of  the 
Civil  War  on  the  Indian  Question,      ...  96 


CONTENTS.  25 

CHAPTER  VI. 

GREAT  UPRISING  OF  HOSTILE  INDIANS  IN  THE  NORTHWEST 
—  THE  TERRIBLE  SIOUX  MASSACRE  IN  MINNESOTA. 

Trouble  with  the  Indians  on  the  Border  —  Uneasy  Savages  of  the  North 
west  —  Threatened  Outbreak  of  the  Sioux  —  Red  Iron's  Eloquent 
Speech  —  The  Great  Uprising  —  The  Crafty  and  Notorious  Chief 
Little  Crow  —  A  Reign  of  Terror,  Murder,  Rapine,  and  Pillage  — 
Indiscriminate  Slaughter  of  White  Men,  Women,  and  Children  — • 
Settlers  Banding  Together  for  Defense  —  A  Resolute  White  Leader 
—  A  Fearful  Onslaught  —  Bloody  Campaign  Against  the  Sioux  — 
Defeat  of  Little  Crow  —  Trial  of  Five  Hundred  Hostile  Indians  — 
Execution  of  Thirty-eight  of  them  upon  One  Scaffold  —  Where  and 
How  They  Were  Buried  — Death  of  Little  Crow,  .  .  .105 

CHAPTER  VII. 

ASSIGNED  TO  DUTY  AMONG  THE  BLOODTHIRSTY  APACHES  — 
MY  ARRIVAL  IN  ARIZONA. 

A  New  Field  of  Labor  — "  Grant's  Peace  Policy"  —  The  Fierce  and 
Murderous  Apaches  —  A  Roaming  and  Warlike  Tribe  —  Cochise, 
the  Notorious  Apache  Chief  —  An  Elusive  and  Dangerous  Foe  — 
Their  Sudden  Descents  on  Scattered  Settlements  —  Slaying  Every 
White  Man  Far  and  Near  —  My  Arrival  at  Fort  Yuma  —  No  Rain, 
for  Three  Years  —  A  Six-mule  Ambulance  —  "  Dismal  Jeems  "  — 
An  Extraordinary  Driver  —  Comical  Dignity  of  an  Indian  Chief  — 
Vanished  Pomp  and  Pride  —  Appearance  of  the  Yumas  —  Arizona 
Sand  Storms, 120 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

CAMPAIGNING  IN  ARIZONA  —  JOURNEYING  ACROSS  THE  "AL 
KALI  DESERT  "  —  LIFE  AMONG  THE  PIMAS 
AND  MARICOPAS. 

Disagreeable  Effects  of  Alkali  Dust  —  A  Ration  of  Raw  Onions  —  "  Oh, 
Pshaw!  The  General  WTould  Eat  a  Boiled  Crow!  " — A  New  Way 
of  Obtaining  Self-Control  —  Trailing  the  Apaches  —  Tales  Told  by 
"Dismal  Jeems"  — A  Dry  and  Barren  Country-1 — My  Pima  Indian 
Interpreter  —  Civilizing  Wild  Indians  with  a  Melodeon — A  Man 
with  a  Remarkable  History  —  A  Queer  Missionary  —  "  Let  the  Par 
son  Preach !  " —  Religious  Service  in  a  Frontier  Saloon  —  Oddly 
Constructed  Houses  —  A  Missionary  Bride,  .  .  .  .131 


26  CONTEXTS. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

IN  AND  AROUND  TUCSON  —  INTENSE  FEELING  AGAINST  THE 
INDIANS  OF  ARIZONA  —  A  TRAGIC  INCIDENT. 

A  Typical  Frontier  Character  —  A  Much  Armed  Sheriff  —  A  Walking 
Arsenal  —  Among  the  Papagoes  —  Indians  Who  Embraced  the 
Roman  Catholic  Religion  —  A  Mexican  Dancing  Party  —  An  At 
tractive  Indian  Maiden  —  A  Harmless  Flirtation  —  Ludicrous  Mis 
take  of  my  Aid-de-Camp  —  "Good  Pigs,  Senorita!  "-—Hospitality 
of  an  Army  Post  —  Trying  the  White  Man's  Ways  —  My  Mexican 
Half-breed  Interpreter  —  Capable  but  Dirty  —  My  Devoted  Friend, 
Chief  "  Santo  " —  Outrageous  Attack  on  Indians  While  Feasting  and 
Dancing  —  Wounding  Little  Boys  and  Girls,  ....  143 

CHAPTER  X. 

MEETING    GENERAL    CROOK  —  INDIANS    PLEADING    FOR   THE 
RETURN  OF  THEIR  CHILDREN  — HOW  A  MO 
MENTOUS  QUESTION  WAS  DECIDED. 

A.  Great  Indian  Fighter  —  General  Crook's  Attitude  Toward  the  Indians 
—  Roads  Infested  by  Hostiles  —  The  White  Flag  —  Hungry  and 
Tired  of  Fighting  —  Lieutenant  Ebstein's  Experience  —  Results  of 
Kind  Treatment  —  Dress  and  Ornaments  of  the  Apaches  —  Endur 
ance  and  Speed  of  Indian  Runners  —  A  Wonderful  Journey  on  Foot 
—  Gathering  of  the  Apaches  —  A  Council  Made  up  of  Hostile  Fac 
tions —  Anxious  Hours  —  Indians  Present  their  Grievances  —  How 
I  Matured  my  Plans  —  Praying  for  Guidance  —  A  Wonderful 
Scene,  . .  .  .151 

CHAPTER  XI. 

SELECTING    A    DELEGATION    OF    WILD    APACHES    TO    VISIT 

WASHINGTON  — GREAT  FEAR  OF  THE  JOURNEY - 

CALLING  UPON  THE  PRESIDENT. 

Close  of  the  Great  Council  —  A  Visit  from  Tribe  to  Tribe  —  Midnight 
Visit  to  an  Indian  Camp  —  A  Rough  March  —  Arranging  Details 
of  the  Journey  to  Washington  —  Getting  the  Party  Together  — 
Parting  Scenes  between  Chiefs  and  their  Families  —  First  Lesson 
in  the  Use  of  Knives,  Forks,  and  Spoons  —  Trust  Begets  Trust  — 
Loud  Murmurs  in  a  Discontented  Camp  —  First  Glimpse  of  a  Rail 
road —  Indian  Amazement  and  Curiosity  —  First  Ride  in  the  Cars 
—  Crouching  Upon  the  Floor  in  Abject  Terror  —  Calling  Upon  the 
President  —  Opening  their  Hearts  to  Him,  ....  163 


CONTENTS.  27 

CHAPTER  XII. 

I  SET  OUT  TO  FIND  THE  NOTORIOUS  CHIEF,  COCHISE. 

Great  Assembly  of  Relatives  and  Friends  to  Meet  the  Returning  Braves 

—  Chief  Meguil  and  his  Glass  Eye  —  Some  Astonished  Indians  — 
Following  the   White   Man's   Ways  —  Determined   Efforts   to   Find 
Cochise  —  "  Snake,  General,  Snake !  "  —  Close  Call  from  a  Rattle 
snake  —  Meeting   with    "  Tom    Jeffords  "  — "  He's    a    Bad    Egg  "  — 
Agrees  to  Take  Me  to  the  Camp  of  Cochise  —  Starting  on  the  Jour 
ney —  A    Strange   and    Suspicious    Group  —  Threatened    by    Angry 
Miners  —  Adventure  with  a  Desperate   Prospector  —  Following  an 
Apache  Trail  —  Communicating  Signs  by  Smoke  —  Arrival  at  Co- 
chise's  Stronghold  —  Meeting  One  of  His  Wives,         .         .         .  177 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

SCOUTING    FOR    THE    APACHE    CHIEF,    COCHISE  —  ENTERING 

HIS  MOUNTAIN  STRONGHOLD  —  FIRST  NIGHT 

IN  A  WILD  CAMP. 

Setting  Out  to  Find  Cochise  —  "General,  Aren't  You  Doing  Wrong?" 

—  Marching  Under  a  Cloudless  Sky  —  A  Camp  Without  Water  — 
An  Offer  of  Whisky  in  Place  of  Food  —  A  Midnight  March  —  An 
Ideal   Camp  —  Little   Savage   Guides  —  In   an  Apache   Camp  —  No 
Word  from  Cochise  — "  Will  it  be  Peace?"  — "He  is   Coming!" 

—  The  Apaches   Prepare  to  Receive   their   Chief  —  Arrival   of  Co 
chise  —  "  This  is  the  Man  "  —  His  Appearance  —  A  Long  and  In 
teresting     Interview  —  Some     Startling     Questions  —  A     Midnight 
Scare  —  My  Return  Through  a  Dangerous  Country,  .         .  190 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

MY    EXPERIENCES    IN    A    WILD   APACHE    CAMP —FAREWELL 

TO  COCHISE. 

Getting  Acquainted  with  Cochise  —  A  Dance  of  Welcome  —  Becoming 
Conduct  of  Indian  Women  —  Apache  Mothers  —  Inviting  Cochise 
to  Dinner  —  Some  Ludicrous  Table  Manners  —  Eating  from  my 
Plate  and  Drinking  from  my  Cup  —  A  Sudden  and  Startling  Alarm 

—  Cochise  Becomes  Intoxicated,  Unruly,  and  Violent  —  Disquieting 
Rumors  —  Managing     Rough     and     Troublesome     Customers  —  A 
Strange    Ceremony    and    Weird    Performance  —  An    Embarrassing 
Offer  —  A  Chief  Covets  my  Mules  —  Offers  to  Exchange  Two  of  His 
Wives  for  Them  —  Farewell  to  Cochise, 212 


28  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

ASSIGNED  TO  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  COLUMBIA,  EMBRAC 
ING  ALL  THE  NORTHWEST  —  THE  MODOCS 
AND  THE  MODOC  WAR. 

An  Arduous  Task  —  Ordered  to  Report  to  General  W.  T.  Sherman  — 
Assigned  to  the  Department  of  the  Columbia  —  A  Field  Embracing 
Oregon,  Washington,  Idaho,  and  Alaska  —  My  Arrival  at  Portland, 
Oregon  —  The  Modocs  and  their  Chief,  "  Captain  Jack  "  —  Causes 
that  Led  to  the  Modoc  War  —  Old  Hostilities  Revived  —  Attempting 
to  Arrest  the  Leaders  —  The  Modoc  Strongholds  in  the  Lava  Beds 

—  Massacre  of  General  Canby  and  of  Dr.  Thomas  —  Defeat  and  Cap 
ture   of   the  Modocs  —  "  Scar-faced   Charlie  "  — End   of   the   Modoc 
Campaign,      .         . 226 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

THREATENED  HOSTILITIES  —  A  TRIBE  THAT  CAUSED  TERROR 
TO  THE  WHITE  PEOPLE  OF  THE  NORTHWEST. 

Twenty-five  Distinct  Tribes  of  Indians  in  my  New  Field  —  The  Nez 
Perec's  —  Their  Dress  and  Appearance  —  Decoration  of  Their  Horses 

—  Fondness  for  Bright  Colors  and  Picturesque  Attires  —  Fanciful 
Dress  of  the   Children  —  The  Famous   Nez   Perce"    Chief  Joseph  — 
An    Indian    Feud  —  Chief    White    Bird    and    His    Band  —  Indian 
"  Dreamers  "    and    "  Tooats  "  —  A    Lazy    Interpreter  —  A    Message 
from  Chief  Joseph  —  A  Dignified  Procession  —  A  Ceremonious  Call 

—  Clinging  to  Old  Haunts  —  "  We   Want   Nothing  from   You  "  — 
Efforts  to  Avert  the  War, 232 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

MY  ARRIVAL  AT  FORT  LAPWAI  —  GROWING  DISCONTENT  AND 

INSOLENCE  OF  THE  INDIANS  —  FEARS  OF 

AN  OUTBREAK. 

An  Important  Indian  Council  —  Happy  "  Medicine  Men  "  —  A  Pictur 
esque  Indian  Procession  —  A  Suspicious  Gathering  —  A  Fear-inspir 
ing  Song  —  My  Plain  Talk  to  Chief  Joseph  —  His  Reply  —  "They 
Treat  me  like  a  Dog" — Growing  Excitement  —  Defiant  Attitude 
of  the  Hostiles  —  Ominous  Signs  —  Efforts  to  Conciliate  the  In 
dians —  An  Immediate  Uprising  Threatened  —  A  Fierce  Rejoinder 

—  "I  am  the  Man  "  —  An  Obstinate  and  Angry  Indian  —  Thrusting 
a  Mischiefmaker  out  of  the  Council  —  Averting  the  Crisis  —  A  Dis 
trusted    Indian    Chief, 246 


CONTENTS.  29 

CHAPTEE  XVIII. 

Sy 

AMONG    THE    COLUMBIA    RIVER    INDIANS  —  INCIDENTS    AND 
PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES  —  "  CUT-MOUTH  JOHN." 

Up  the  Columbia  River  —  Smohollie,  a  Pompous  Indian  of  Important 
Manner  —  Standing  on  His  Dignity  —  Treating  Him  with  Indifi'er- 
ence  —  Changing  His  Mind  —  Sending  for  an  Interpreter  —  Rene 
gade  Indians  —  Wild  and  Fierce  to  the  Last  —  The  "  Skookum- 
House  " —  An  Insubordinate  Old  Chief  —  United  Against  the  Whites 

—  An  Odd  Character  —  A  Sea-sick  and  Disgusted  Indian  —  "  Cut- 
Mouth  John  " —  How  He  Acquired  His  Name  —  Introducing  Him 
self  to  Me  —  His  Dirty  and  Comical  Uniform  —  A  Ludicrous  Spec 
tacle  —  Trying  to  be  a  White  Man 258 

CHAPTEE  XIX. 

BIDDING  ADIEU  TO  MY  FAMILY  FOR  WHAT  PROVES  TO  BE  A 

LONG  ABSENCE  — ON  THE  VERGE  OF  A  BLOODY 

INDIAN  WAR. 

Chief  Joseph's  Bad  Conduct  —  Robbing  a  Missionary's  House  —  Miracu 
lous  escape  from  Bloody  Hands  —  Resting  in  Comfort,  Peace,  and 
Hope  —  My  Fourteen  "  Commanding  Officers  " —  An  Old  Comrade 
of  the  Civil  War  —  Chief  Joseph's  Unconverted  Heart  —  Guarding 
Against  Indian  Treachery  —  Release  of  Old  Skemiah  from  the 
"  Skookum-house  "  —  His  Grievances  and  Plea  to  go  Back  to  the 
Reservation  —  Bidding  Adieu  to  my  Family  —  It  Proves  to  be  a 
Long  One  —  On  the  Verge  of  a  Bloody  War,  ....  267 

CHAPTER  XX. 

OPENING  OF  HOSTILITIES  —  BATTLES   OF  WHITE   BIRD   CAN 
YON  AND  THE  CLEAR  WATER. 

A  Disquieting  Message  —  Starting  for  the  Front  —  Rendezvous  of  Chief 
Joseph  and  the  Hostiles  —  Discovering  the  Indian  Camp  —  Guard 
ing  Against  Surprise  —  Murdering  a  Husband  in  the  Presence 
of  His  Wife  —  Women  and  Children  at  the  Mercy  of  Savages  — 
Indescribable  Brutalities  —  The  Battle  of  White  Bird  Canyon  — 
Slaughter  of  the  Troops  —  Death  of  Lieutenant  Theller  —  Defeated 
by  the  Indians  —  Burial  of  Our  Slain  Comrades  —  A  Forced  March 

—  An  Indian  Ambuscade  —  Battle  of  the  Clear  Water  —  Flight  of 
the  Indians  —  Preparation  for  a  Long  Chase,      ....  277 


30  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

PURSUIT  AND  DEFEAT  OF  THE  INDIANS  —  SURRENDER 
OF  CHIEF  JOSEPH. 

Marching  through  a  Rough  Country  —  Word  from  General  Gibbon  — 
An  Experienced  Scout  and  Frontiersman  —  The  Fleeing  Indians 
Turn  Back  Upon  Me  —  A  Vicious  Night  Attack  —  Half-breed  Buck 
ing  Ponies  —  Arrival  in  the  National  Park  —  Murdering  a  Party  of 
Visitors  —  Lost  in  the  Forest  —  "  The  Howard  Road  "  —  Unwearied 
and  Relentless  Pursuit  of  the  Indians  —  An  Adroit  Indian  Chief  — 
Running  the  Gauntlet  —  The  Surrender, 290 

CHAPTEE  XXII. 

STARTING     FOR     ALASKA  —  EXPERIENCES     WITH     ALASKAN 
CHIEFS  AND  TRIBES. 

Reservation  Indians  of  Puget  Sound  —  Evil  Results  of  Dissolute  White 
Men  Mingling  with  Indians  —  Indians  as  Coal  Miners  —  Wonder 
fully  Picturesque  and  Varied  Scenery  —  Arrival  at  Fort  Wrangel 
—  Some  Dejected  Indians  —  Listening  to  their  Grievances  —  In 
fluence  of  Strong  Drink  —  Presenting  a  Tribe  with  the  Dead  Body 
of  their  Chief  —  A  Dance  of  Satisfaction  —  A  Pantomime  Show  — 
Begging  for  a  Teacher  —  Hideously-painted  Faces  —  Sitka  Indian 
Chiefs  —  Extreme  Poverty  and  Vicious  Indulgence  —  Brief  Sketch 
of  Colonel  Guy  Howard's  Career, 301 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

OUR    JOURNEY    TO    ALASKA    CONTINUED— A    VISIT    TO    THE 

CHILCATS,  THE    SUMDUMS,   AND  OTHER 

PACIFIC  COAST  TRIBES. 

Pacific  Coast  Indians  —  Their  Domestic  Life  —  A  Patient  Indian  Suf 
ferer  —  A  Contrary  Old  Woman  —  "  Sitka  Jack  "  —  Among  the 
Chilcats  — A  Faithful  Watcher  —  Home  of  the  Sumdums  —  Ice 
bergs,  Glaciers,  and  Picturesque  Scenery  —  Celebrating  the  Battle 
of  Bunker  Hill  —  Describing  the  Battlefield  of  Gettysburg  —  Home- 
ward  Bound  —•  A  Methodist  Missionary's  Home  —  Religious  Service 
in  an  Indian  Village  —  How  it  was  Conducted  —  Publishing  Mar 
riage  Banns  —  Extraordinary  Changes  in  Indian  Life  —  A  Skeptical 
Officer  —  Ascending  the  Columbia  River,  .  .  .  310 


CONTENTS.  31 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  STORY  OF  MARCUS  WHITMAN  —  THRILLING  ACCOUNT  OF 
HIS  PERILOUS  OVERLAND  JOURNEY. 

The  Story  of  Doctor  Whitman's  Life  —  The  Remarkable  Journey  of 
Four  Flathead  Indians  —  The  Quest  for  "  The  White  Man's  Book 
of  Life"  — A  Brave  Methodist  Pioneer  —  Open  Hostilities  of  the 
Great  Fur  Companies  —  Starting  on  a  Perilous  Journey  —  His  Re 
turn  and  Marriage  —  Organizing  Another  Expedition  —  Dangerous 
Journey  for  Brides  —  Toils  and  Privations  of  Frontier  Missionary 
Life  —  Instigating  a  Massacre  —  An  "  Indiscreet  Conversation  "  — 
Whitman's  Remarkable  Journey  to  Washington  —  Unspeakable 
Hardships  —  Mutterings  of  the  Coming  Storm,  .  .  .  .321 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

A   FRONTIER   TRAGEDY  — THE    COLD-BLOODED  MASSACRE    OF 
MARCUS  WHITMAN  AND  HIS  FAMILY. 

Scene  of  the  Brutal  Massacre  —  Unsuspecting  Settlers  Engaged  in  Peace 
ful  Avocations  —  Hovering  and  Watchful  Indians  —  Sudden  Appear 
ance  of  Indians  at  an  Open  Door  —  Dr.  Whitman  Asked  to  Come  into 
the  Kitchen  —  The  Deadly  Tomahawk  —  Fighting  for  Life  —  Ghastly 
Scenes  —  "Oh,  the  Indians!  the  Indians!  " —  The  Infamous  Mur 
derer  "  Joe  Lewis  "  —  Death  of  Dr.  Whitman  —  Heroic  Efforts  of  His 
Wife  to  Save  His  Life  —  Discovering  the  Hidden  Children  —  Dread 
ful  and  Heartrendinng  Scenes  —  "We  Will  Now  Burn!  " — Assassi 
nation  of  Mrs.  Whitman  —  Desperate  Struggles  for  Life  —  Escape  of 
the  Few  Survivors, 337 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

CAMPAIGNING    ON    THE     UPPER    COLUMBIA  —  EXPERIENCES 

WITH  MOSES,  WAR-CHIEF  OF  THE  SPOKANES  — 

HIS  OWN  NARRATIVE. 

Moses,  the  War-Chief  of  the  Spokanes  —  His  Personal  Appearance  —  A 
Diplomatic  Indian  —  Some  Hostile  Threats  —  Fears  of  an  Outbreak 
—  My  Letter  to  Chief  Moses  —  His  Reply  —  The  Gathering  War 
Clouds  —  Efforts  to  Pacify  Moses  —  Starting  for  His  Camp  —  Moses 
and  Sixty  Painted  Warriors  Advance  to  Meet  Me  —  Hunting  for  the 
Murderers  of  the  Perkins  Family  —  Arrest  of  Moses  and  His  Im 
prisonment —  The  Story  of  His  Experiences  Narrated  by  Himself  — 
"  Our  Hearts  are  One,"  .  .  .  ...  ".  .346 


32  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

ADVENTURES    AMONG    THE    BANNOCKS  — A    MIDNIGHT    WAR 
DANCE  AND  ITS  SEQUENCE. 

The  Bannocks  —  Their  Good  Mounts  and  Equipment  —  A  Shocking  Inci 
dent  —  My  Bannock  Scouts  —  Mysterious  Disappearance  of  Twenty 
Horses  —  How  I  Made  the  Indians  Recover  Them  —  A  Distrusted 
Chief  —  An  Exciting  Midnight  Scene  —  War-Dance  of  the  Bannocks 

—  An  Uneasy  Night  in  Camp  —  Demanding  Permission  to  Kill  Three 
of  My  Scouts  —  Getting  the  Best  of  the  Bannocks  —  Execution  of  an 
Indian  —  Surrounding    the    Indians  —  Fair    Promises    but    Hollow 
Hearts  —  Plans    for   Revenge  —  An*  Old    Indian   Legend  —  Looking 
Forward  to  a  Resurrection, 365 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

PREPARATIONS  FOR  ANOTHER  CAMPAIGN  —  OPENING  OF  THE 
PI-UTE  AND  BANNOCK  WAR. 

The  Noted  Pi-Ute  Chief  Egan  —  An  Indian  Princess  and  Her  Interesting 

History  —  An  Anxious  Night  in  Camp  —  Some  Wakeful  Hours  — 

Fresh  Troubles  with  the  Bannocks  —  The  Discontented  Pi-Utes  — 

The  Promised  Resurrection  of  Indians  —  Anticipating  an  Outbreak 

-  The  Lava  Beds  of  the  Modocs  —  A  Desolate  and  Sterile  Region 

—  An   Ideal  Place   for  Ambush  —  Preparations   for  Another   Cam 
paign  —  Constant  Murders  and  Outrages  —  Weakening  an  Indian's 
Courage  —  Terrified  and  Fleeing  Settlers  —  The  Wary  Chief  Buffalo 
Horn  —  An  Indian  Woman's  Loyal  Service,          ....  377 

CHAPTER  XXIX.' 

IN  ACTIVE   FIELD   SERVICE   AGAIN  — SARAH   WINNEMUCCA'S 

REMARKABLE  RIDE  —  NEARING  THE  INDIAN 

STRONGHOLD. 

Planning  the  Campaign  —  Active  Field  Service  —  Sarah  Winnemucca's 
Ride  —  The  Story  She  Brought  —  Fresh  From  the  Hostile  Camp  — 
Incidents  of  Sarah's  Remarkable  Journey  —  Scenes  Along  a  Bloody 
Trail  —  "  Who  Are  You  ?  "  —  Climbing  Steep  and  Rocky  Moun 
tains  on  Hands  and  Knees  —  "Oh,  Sarah,  You  Have  Come  to  Save 
Us!  "  —An  Old  Indian  Chief's  Advice  —  Escaping  from  the  Hostile 
Camp  —  Followed  by  the  Bannocks  —  Some  Brave  Women  and 
their  Escort  —  A  Strong  Force  of  Indian  Warriors,  .  .  .389 


CONTENTS.  33 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

INCIDENTS  AND  HARDSHIPS  OF  AN  INDIAN  CAMPAIGN  —  THE 

BATTLE  OF  BIRCH  CREEK  — FLIGHT  OF  THE 

INDIANS. 

A  Chosen  Indian  Leader  —  Panic  in  an  Indian  Camp  —  Indian  Women 
for  Guides  —  Alarming  Rumors  —  The  Battle  of  Curry  Creek  — 
Camp  of  the  Renegades  —  An  Innocent-looking  Log  —  Pulling  an 
Old  Indian  Squaw  Out  of  It  —  Pursuing  the  Indians  —  Picking  up 
a  White  Man's  Scalp  —  A  Couple  of  Unreliable  Guides  —  A  Steep 
Descent  of  Four  Miles  —  Finding  a  Column  of  Pack-mules  —  A 
Word  of  Warning  —  Locating  the  Indians  —  Getting  Ready  for 
Battle  —  How  a  Soldier  Feels  Before  a  Battle  —  Indians  Abandon 
Their  Stronghold  —  "  Come  on,  You  White  Dogs!  "  .  .  .  398 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

A  LONG  AND  EXCITING  CHASE  — THE   ENGAGEMENTS  THAT 

FOLLOWED  —  THRILLING  INCIDENTS  OF 

THE  CAMPAIGN. 

Stumbling  Upon  Fresh  Indian  Trails  —  Catching  Up  With  the  Hostiles 
—  "  See  the  Enemy !  "  —  Indian  Tactics  in  Battle  —  A  Brutal 
Cayuse  Chief  —  The  Murder  of  Chief  Egan  and  His  Companions  — 
Searching  for  Indian  Hiding-places  —  Six  Hundred  Indian  Prison 
ers  —  Charging  the  Indians  Across  a  River  —  Murder  of  a  Nez 
Perce"  Scout  —  A  Remarkable  Death  Scene  —  Surprising  a  Crowd 
of  Indians  —  Breaking  up  Indian  Camps  —  A  Burly  White  Ruffian 
—  Efforts  to  Provoke  a  Quarrel  With  Me  —  Sarah  Winnemucca's 
Criticisms  —  Death  of  Mattie,  .  .  .  .  .  "~.  .  407 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

AMONG  THE  SHEEP-EATERS  —  CAMPAIGNING  IN  "  THE  LAND 
OF  THE  SEVEN  DEVILS." 

A  Visionary  Old  Dreamer  —  Some  Alarming  Reports  —  Getting  Ready 
to  Take  the  Warpath  —  A  Select  Company  of  Indian  Scouts  and 
Sharpshooters  —  Campaigning  in  a  Fearfully  Rough  Country  — 
Pursuing  a  Band  of  Marauding  Horse-thieves  —  Defeat  of  Our 
Troops  —  Five  Days  of  Terrific  Forced  Marches  —  Stumbling  Upon 
an  Indian  Ambuscade  —  Completely  Surrounded  by  Indians  —  Set 
ting  Fire  to  the  Grass  and  Timber  —  Heroic  Efforts  of  the  Troops 
to  Extricate  Themselves  —  A  Bannock  Spy  Who  Played  Me  False  — 
Teaching  Captive  Indians  —  Escape  of  the  Bannock  Spy,  .  .  421 

3 


34  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

AMONG  THE  SPOKANES  —  I  AM  WELCOMED  BY  CHIEF  LOT  - 
INSTANCES  OF  INDIAN  GRATITUDE. 

The  Spokanes  —  A  Filibustering  Indian  —  Chief  Lot  —  Preparations 
for  a  Wedding  —  An  Indian  Bride  —  Listening  to  Indian  Songs  — 
Trying  to  Build  "  a  Bona-fide  White  Man's  House "  — A  Queer 
Piece  of  Architecture  —  Religious  Service  With  the  Spokanes  —  In 
dian  Confessions  —  Shedding  Tears  of  Contrition  —  A  Dissenting 
Old  Indian  Woman  —  "Sit  Down,  My  Girl,  Sit  Down !"  —  Chief 
Lot's  Confession  —  My  Indian  Escort  —  Unexpected  Appearance  of 
Lot  —  His  Journey  of  Five  Hundred  Miles  to  Bid  Me  Good-bye  — 
"You  Must  Not  Go!  " 434 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

PERSONAL     EXPERIENCES     AMONG     THE     CROWS  —  SECRET 
HELPERS  OF  OUR  FOES. 

The  Crow  Reservation  —  An  Ingenious  Plot  —  Meeting  a  Delegation  of 
Mounted  Crows  —  Fraternizing  with  Our  Indian  Scouts  —  A  Crow 
Escort  —  A  Tribe  of  Thieves  —  Finding  Bodies  of  White  Men  — 
Marriage  Customs  of  the  Crows  —  Their  Dress  and  Personal  Ap 
pearance —  Religious  Belief  —  Looking  Forward  to  a  Coming  Mes 
siah  —  Settlers'  Opinion  of  the  Crows  —  "  Thieves,  Marauders,  and 
Murderers  "  —  Justly  Entitled  to  Their  Reputation  —  Bad  Feeling 
Between  the  Sioux  and  Crows  —  A  Nomadic  Tribe  —  Full  of  War 
and  Revenge  —  Incidents  of  Life  Among  the  Crows  —  A  Reign  of 
Terror  —  Driving  Them  from  Their  Reservation,  .  .  .  443 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

LIFE  AMONG  THE  FLATHEADS  —  THEIR  PECULIARITIES  AND 
CUSTOMS  — OUR  INDIAN  RESERVATION  METHODS. 

Plea  of  Chief  Carlos  —  On  the  Lolo  Trail  —  Friendly  Emissaries  and 
Good  Spies  —  A  Diplomatic  Tribe  —  My  Two  Flathead  Messengers 
—  How  They  WTere  Dressed  —  Method  of  Flattening  the  Head  — 
Efforts  to  Have  the  Practice  Discontinued  —  A  Tribal  Peculiarity 
—  How  the  Flatheads  Lived  —  Their  Homes  in  the  Bitter  Root 
Valley  —  Generally  Friendly  to  the  Whites  —  Old  Indian  Trails  — 
A  Drunken  and  Terror-inspiring  Indian  —  Settlers'  Dread  of  In 
dian  War  —  Work  Preferable  to  Starvation  —  Eagerness  to  Adopt 
the  White  Man's  Ways,  .  448 


CONTENTS.  35 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

LIFE    AND    EXPERIENCES    AMONG    THE    WARLIKE    SIOUX  - 
SOME    DANGEROUS    CHARACTERS. 

My  New  Field  of  Duty  —  The  Fierce  and  Warlike  Sioux  —  Some  of 
Their  Influential  Chiefs  —  Interviewing  the  Brute's  —  Indian  Police 

—  Fine  Physical  Specimens  of  Indians  —  The  Wife  of  Lone  Wolf 

—  Honoring  My  Arrival  at  the  Rosebud  Agency  —  Attending  the 
Omaha    Dance  —  A    Characteristic    Indian    Performance  —  Getting 
Ready  for  the  Sun  Dance  —  The  Country  Inhabited  by  the  Sioux 

—  In  the  Bad  Lands  —  How  the   Sioux  were  Fed  and  Clothed  — 
Their  Delight  in  War  and  Pillage  —  The  Mischief-making  Dreamers 

—  Dangerous  Character  of  Sitting  Bull, 457 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

THE  MESSIAH  CRAZE  AMONG  THE  SIOUX  —  INDIAN  DREAMERS 
AND   THE   GHOST   DANCE  —  FRONTIER   TRAGEDIES. 

The  Messiah  Craze  — The  Real  Message  and  How  it  Originated  — 
Urged  to  WTild  Frenzy  by  the  Dreamers  — "  We  Will  Always  be 
Indians "  —  White  Men's  Broken  Promises  —  Bad  Influence  of 
Land  Boomers  and  Speculators  —  "Indians  are  Coming!  "  —How 
Indian  Wars  Were  Often  Started  —  Causes  of  the  Great  Sioux  Out 
break —  Big  Foot's  Band  of  Warriors  —  The  Battle  of  Wounded 
Knee  Creek  —  Indiscriminate  Slaughter  of  Indians  —  Death  of  Lieu 
tenant  Casey  —  The  Horrors  of  Indian  WTar  —  Another  Side  of  the 
Story  —  Murder  of  Few  Tails, 467 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

IN  THE  COUNTRY  OF  THE  CHEYENNES  —  MASSACRE  OF 
CUSTER  AND  HIS  COMMAND  —  A  FRONTIER  TRAGEDY. 

The  Fierce  and  Warlike  Cheyennes  —  Chief  Black  Kettle  —  Brutal  Mas 
sacre  of  Southern  Cheyennes  by  White  Troops  —  Retaliating  on 
White  Settlers  —  The  Notorious  Chief  Sitting  Bull  —  Dull  Knife, 
the  Cheyenne  Chief  —  The  Cheyennes  and  Sioux  Join  Forces  —  An 
nihilation  of  General  Custer  and  His  Command  —  A  Tragedy  that 
Shocked  the  Civilized  World  —  General  Terry's  Account  of  the 
Battle  — A  Desperate  and  Bloody  Fight  — Horny  Horse's  Story  of 
the  Battle  —  Narrative  of  Chief  Red  Horse  — Chief  High  Wolfe 
and  His  Necklace  of  Human  Fingers  —  Appearance  of  Custer's  Bat 
tlefield —  Mutilating  the  Dead  Bodies  of  Soldiers,  .  .  .487 


36  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

GENERAL  MACKENZIE'S  FIGHT  WITH  THE  NORTHERN  CHEY- 

ENNES  — A  NIGHT   ATTACK   ON  AN   INDIAN   CAMP- 

A  STORY  OF  TERRIBLE  SUFFERING. 

"The  Bravest  Tribe  of  Indians  on  this  Continent"  —  Crazy  Horse  and 
His  Band  of  Sioux  —  Dull  Knife  and  His  Fierce  Cheyennes  —  In 
dian  Scouts  and  Allies  —  Searching  for  Camps  of  Hostile  Indians  — 
Sitting  Bear  and  His  White  Flag  —  MacKenzie's  Search  for  the 
Cheyenne  Village  —  Campaigning  with  the  Thermometer  Thirty 
Degrees  Below  Zero  —  Night  Attack  on  the  Unsuspecting  Cheyennes 

—  Death  of  Lieutenant  McKinney  —  Relics  of  the  Custer  Massacre 

—  Unparalleled  Sufferings  of  the  Indians  —  Women  and   Children 
Frozen  to  Death  —  End  of  a  Bitter  War,         .         .         .         .510 

CHAPTER  XL. 

SQUAW  MEN  — HOME  LIFE  OF  WHITE  MEN  WHO  HAVE  MAR 
RIED  INDIAN  WOMEN  —  INCIDENTS. 

White  Men  Who  Marry  Indian  Women  —  Results  of  Intermarrying  with 
Indians  —  Effect  of  Such  Marriages  upon  Indian  Women  —  An 
Indian  Wife's  Efforts  to  Please  Her  White  Husband  — The 
Squaw  Man's  Loss  of  Self-respect  —  A  Shipload  of  Marriageable 
WTiite  Teachers  —  Story  of  an  ex-Governor  Who  Married  an  Indian 
Woman  —  A  Cultured  Frenchman  and  His  Indian  Wife  —  A 
Squaw  Man's  Children  —  Proud  of  Their  Indian  Blood  —  Indian 
Half-Breeds  —  Story  of  a  Government  Official  Who  Married  an 
Indian  Women  —  Living  the  Life  of  a  Squaw  Man,  .  .  .  524 

CHAPTER  XLI. 

CHARACTERISTICS  OF  AMERICAN  INDIANS  — THE  SIGN  LAN 
GUAGE—CEREMONIAL  DANCES  — A  NECKLACE  OF 

HUMAN  FINGERS. 

The  Sign  Language  —  Its  Origin  —  How  Indians  of  Different  Tribes 
Converse  with  Each  Other  —  Curious  Methods  of  Communication  — 
Ceremonial  Dances  — The  Scalp  Dance  —  A  Secret  Performance 

—  Elaborate  Preparations   for  the  Dance  —  Wands  with   Dangling 
Scalps  —  A  Weird  Performance  —  Frenzied  Condition  of  the  Dancers 

—  Nervous  Excitement  of  Spectators  —  Medicine  Bags  and  Totems 

—  A  Necklace  of  Human  Fingers  —  Captain  Bourke's  Story  of  its 
Capture  —  A   Buckskin   Bag   filled   with  the   Right   Hands  of  Pa 
pooses  —  Gruesome  Ornaments  made  of  Human  Bones,     .         .  534 


CONTENTS.  37 

CHAPTER  XLIL 

CHARACTERISTICS    OF    AMERICAN    INDIANS,    CONTINUED  — 

THEIR  STOLIDITY,  SEC11ET1VENESS,  AND  HUMOR 

-INDIAN    SPIES  — CURIOUS    STORY 

TOLD  BY  A  KIOWA. 

How  Indians  Conceal  their  Real  Feelings  and  Intentions  —  Thievery 
as  a  Profession  —  Attempt  of  Satanta,  a  Kiowa  Chief,  to  Kill 
General  Sherman  —  His  Narrow  Escape  from  Death  —  Satanta's 
Fate  —  The  Instinct  of  Revenge  —  Expertness  of  Indian  Spies  — 
Surpassing  the  Feats  of  White  Men  —  Indian  Sense  of  Humor  — 
Laughing  at  the  Queer  Looks  and  Ways  of  White  Men  —  Making 
Merry  over  Whiskers  —  Bald  Heads  Versus  "  Forked  Tongues  "  — 
Story  of  the  Giant  Sinti  and  the  Prairie  Dogs  —  A  Good  Speci 
men  of  Indian  Fiction  —  Boisterous  Hilarity  of  Indians  —  The 
Spirit  of  Gambling  —  Barbarous  Cruelty  When  Intoxicated,  .  549 

CHAPTER  XLIII. 

CHARACTERISTICS     OF    AMERICAN    INDIANS,     CONTINUED  - 
ORATORS  AND  ORATORY  —  EXPERT  HORSEMAN 
SHIP—SURPRISES  AND  AMBUSCADES 
-FUTURE  OF  OUR  INDIANS. 

An  Indian  Council  Attended  by  the  President  of  the  United  States  — 
Characteristic  Indian  Oratory  —  Indian  Gestures  —  Peculiarities  of 
their  Speeches  —  Indian  Horses  and  Horsemanship  —  Method  of 
Breaking  and  Training  Colts  —  Severe  Cruelty  to  Animals  — 
"  Bucking  "  Ponies  —  A  Lesson  Learned  from  the  Indians  —  In 
dian  and  White  Riders  Compared  —  Organizing  an  Attack  on  a 
Wagon  Train  —  Averting  a  Threatened  Disaster  —  Curious  Way 
of  "  Trying  to  Please  Me "  —  Looking  Back  to  Early  Days  — 
Retrospection  —  Looking  Forward  to  the  Future  with  Hope  and 
Confidence,  ...........  561 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS. 


MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 
AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

MY    BOYHOOD    AND    EARLY    HOME  —  SCHOOL    AND    COLLEGE 

DAYS  —  APPOINTED  AS  A  CADET  TO  WEST  POINT 

MILITARY  ACADEMY. 

Looking  Backward  —  Recollections  of  my  Parents  —  Grandfather's 
Chimney  Corner  —  The  Old  Home  in  Maine  —  Listening  to  Grand 
father's  Indian  Tales  —  My  Father's  Death  —  Working  as  Man- 
of-all-Work  for  my  Board  —  Attending  the  Village  School  —  En 
tering  Bowdoin  College  —  Appointed  as  a  Cadet  to  West  Point  — 
A  Momentous  Step  —  Going  Forth  into  the  World  —  Arrival  at 
West  Point  —  Warned  to  Dispense  with  my  Silk  Hat  and  Cane  — 
"  Stand  Straight,  Sir !  "  —  Reminiscences  of  West  Point. 

AFTER  passing  the  seventieth  milestone  men 
usually  and  naturally  look  back  to  early 
days.  Certainly  the  writer  of  these  pages 
is  doing  so  now  and  often  dwelling  upon  different 
epochs  of  his  boyhood.  There  are  periods  that 
stand  forth  like  pictures  on  the  wall ;  they  may  or 
may  not  have  connection  with  other  periods.  When 
you  meet  such  pictures  in  larger  galleries  you 
gladly  renew  their  acquaintance  and  are  gratified 
if  you  find  them  of  intrinsic  worth ;  so  with  remem 
bered  portions  of  your  young  life,  they  find  their 
way  into  larger  galleries  and  have  a  relative  value 
not  dreamed  of  at  first. 

Our  household  at  Leeds,  Maine,  at  the  dawn  of 
my  childish  memory,  surely  belongs  to  the  first 


!     :>'MY:  ibIFI^\A'M)  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 


period  of  thoughtful  observation.  It  consisted  of 
my  mother,  father,  and  grandfather,  and  Sam 
Finnemore,  our  hired  man.  My  young  mother's 
appearance  at  that  time  is  dim  to  my  vision.  She 
seems  to  have  been  going  here  and  there  about  the 
family  room  or  about  the  house,  with  a  healthy, 
happy  look,  though  at  times  very  grave,  and  ha 
bitually  talking  pleasantly  to  my  grandfather. 
He  was  a  tall,  spare  man,  erect  of  figure,  although 
already  past  seventy,  and  with  that  genial  expres 
sion  of  countenance  that  attracts  a  child.  Because 
of  some  infirmity  of  age  my  grandfather  usually 
remained  indoors.  I  see  him  now  as  he  sat  in  the 
chimney  corner  and  smoked  his  pipe  of  dusky  hue, 
turning  often  to  help  m^  and  my  small  dog  in  our 
plays,  to  tie  or  loose  a  knot,  or  yield  laughing  obedi 
ence  to  the  changing  whimsies  of  his  grandchild. 
Again  I  behold  him  seated  in  his  kitchen  chair  near 
the  east  window  that  looked  out  toward  the  old 
orchard,  reading  the  paper,  sometimes  aloud; 
while  mother  was  at  the  spinning  wheel,  moving 
steadily  back  and  forth,  creating  as  she  did  so  a 
peculiar  music  by  thread  and  spindle,  like  ar>  or 
chestral  accompaniment  to  a  song,  for,  besides  his 
reading,  she  and  grandfather  held  an  intermittent 
conversation  distinct  enough  above  the  buzzing 
sounds.  When  tired  of  play  the  little  dog  stretched 
himself  before  the  open  fire,  and  the  child  crept 
into  grandpa's  lap,  daring  to  pull  off  his  spectacles 
and  stop  his  reading. 

Three  times  a  day  our  goodly  dining  table  was 
set.  When  the  proper  hour  came,  there  was  my 
father  at  the  end  farthest  from  the  kitchen  door  ;  he 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  41 

was  always  a  little  careworn,  had  heavy  eyebrows, 
sandy  side  whiskers,  and  high  forehead  with  dark 
hair  slightly  lifted  up  at  the  middle  front.  Mother 
sat  opposite  him.  My  chair,  the  seat  raised  by  a 
covered  bench,  was  at  her  right;  grandfather,  al 
ways  in  his  kitchen  chair,  at  the  side  next  to  me ; 
while  the  sturdy  Sam,  with  English  face  and  light, 
thin,  closely  curled  hair,  sat  in  silence  opposite 
me.  No  need  to  draw  the  picture  further.  That 
was  a  frugal  board,  but  it  was  a  New  England 
home-table ;  and  ours  was  a  frugal,  self-reliant 
family  which  never  dreamed  of  great  riches  nor 
extreme  want. 

The  house  was  built  by  my  grandfather  about 
thirty  years  before,  wheji  my  father  was  a  lad  of 
eleven  years.  It  was  of  timber,  except  the  cellar 
walls  and  the  entire  foundation  of  stone,  two 
stories  above  ground,  foursquare,  with  a  central 
front  door,  and  hall  running  through,  and  a  number 
of  back  buildings  connecting  the  kitchen  to  a  siz 
able  barn.  Erected  high  up  on  the  north  slope  of 
the  great  hill  of  Leeds,  it  could  be  seen  from 
Turner  and  Livermore  westward  across  the  Andro- 
scoggin,  and  from  Wayne,  eastward  across  the  lake. 
Painted  white,  adorned  with  green  blinds,  and  pro 
tected  by  a  few  large  elms,  well  away  from  the 
common  roads,  Seth  Howard's  house  afforded  to 
farmers  and  travelers  far  and  near  a  notable  land 
mark. 

Our  home  farm,  embracing  open  fields,  garden, 
groves,  and  woodland,  all  together  did  not  exceed 
eighty  acres.  Father  was  at  this  time,  as  I  after 
ward  knew,  working  too  diligently  and  persist- 


42  MY   LITE   AND   PERSONAL   EXPERIENCES 

ently  for  his  strength.  But  he  had  an  unselfish 
object  in  view.  By  the  products  of  his  farm  work, 
also  by  taking  small  droves  of  horses  to  Massachu 
setts  for  the  Boston  market,  by  buying  patent 
threshers  at  a  bargain  and  selling  them,  going 
sometimes  as  far  as  New  York  state,  and  by  other 
helpful  operations,  he  had  succeeded  in  paying  off 
an  oppressive  mortgage  on  grandfather's  farm. 
He  had  also  purchased  the  sandy  "  Day  place  "  at 
South  Leeds  for  a  sheep  pasture.  None  of  these 
things  were  ever  much  talked  of  at  home;  still 
there  was  to  me,  in  time,  an  educational  signifi 
cance  in  the  hard  work  and  self-denial  ever  prac 
ticed  by  my  father  and  mother. 

"  Sam,"  the  hired  man,  was  kind  to  me  in  his 
way.  He  made  rough  sleds,  snow-shoes,  small 
wagons,  and  other  playthings  for  me,  but  found 
my  sensitive  spots  and  liked  to  touch  them.  His 
teasings  brought  some  tears,  and  first  awakened 
in  the  confiding  child  the  doubt  and  distrust  that, 
soon  or  late,  must  come  to  us  all.  But  father  and 
mother,  never  trifling  with  a  child,  were  always  in 
earnest  with  me.  They  both  were  fond  of  music ; 
mother  sang  in  church,  and  usually  when  about  her 
work  and  not  in  conversation  was  humming  some 
good  old  hymn,  while  at  evening  my  father  often 
played  the  flute. 

Grandfather  had  a  native  humor  in  his  kind 
heart,  and  was  always  bubbling  over  to  lighten  and 
sweeten  his  manners.  He  was  my  favorite  com 
panion  during  my  boyhood.  It  was  when  sitting 
in  his  lap  that  I  began  my  knowledge  of  the  How 
ard  family  history.  He  told  me  much  of  the  great 


AMOXG   OUK    HOSTILE   INDIANS  43 

journey  from  Bridgewater,  Mass.,  to  Maine,  with 
my  grandmother  and  their  six  children.  Later, 
their  family  increased  to  nine.  He  praised  my 
father 's  feats  of  horsemanship  when  ten  years  old, 
-  telling  me  how  he  rode  a  fine  horse  all  the  wray, 
more  than  three  hundred  miles,  from  the  old  home 
to  Leeds;  how  Uncle  Stillman  had  cut  a  willow 
riding  whip  on  the  way,  which,  after  arriving,  he 
had  stuck  into  the  ground  by  the  roadside  about  a 
mile  south  of  us,  from  which  grew  a  huge  willow 
tree  that  I  had  often  seen. 

He  also  related  tales  of  the  "  Red  Coats  "  which 
prejudiced  me  fearfully  against  them ;  some  of  the 
stories  included  "  the  Tories,"  who  burned  houses 
and  killed  people  with  little  mercy  or  discrimina 
tion.  Old  comrades  of  the  Revolution  occasion 
ally  came  to  see  him,  one  a  wounded  lieutenant, 
who  seemed  to  me  uncommonly  kind  and  affection 
ate.  I  did  not  then  understand  half  of  their  war 
stories ;  but  I  listened  to  them  with  keen  interest, 
and  well  remember  their  hearty  fellowship. 

The  name  of  Jesse  Howard,  my  great-grand 
father,  is  found  recorded  in  the  Massachusetts 
archives  as  "  a  lieutenant  in  Captain  Ames'  Com 
pany  "  at  the  beginning  of  the  Revolution.  But 
my  grandfather  said  that  his  father  Jesse  was  a 
captain  in  the  Army  of  the  Revolution,  and  often 
actively  engaged  during  the  long  war.  Recently 
I  have  been  able  to  verify  this  statement.  My 
grandfather,  Seth  Howard,  being  young  at  the 
time  of  the  Revolution,  had  remained  at  home  to 
take  care  of  his  good  mother ;  but  subsequently  he 
was  permitted  to  enlist  and  go  with  his  father 


44  MY   LIFE   AND    PERSONAL   EXPERIENCES 

during  one  of  the  later  years  of  the  struggle,  serv 
ing  as  a  private  soldier. 

What  interested  me  most  after  I  was  old  enough 
to  understand  grandfather,  and  to  remember  what 
he  said  to  me,  concerned  the  Indians.  It  appears 
that  when  he  was  on  duty  during  that  year  of  the 
war,  between  1777  and  1779,  he  was  a  mere  boy  of 
seventeen;  but  after  that  service,  being  of  a 
military  turn,  he,  during  his  young  manhood,  ac 
cepted  from  the  Commonwealth  the  captaincy  of  a 
militia  company.  This  company  was  several  times 
called  out  to  meet  outbreaks  of  one  kind  and  an 
other.  These  included  the  riots  of  white  men,  like 
those  of  "  Shay's  rebellion/'  1786-87;  also  the 
combined  offensive  action  of  Tories  and  Indians, 
insurrections  which  were  not  wholly  quelled  till 
some  years  after  the  Yorktown  surrender. 

In  the  "  Life  of  Joseph  Brant  "  (whose  Indian 
name  was  Thayen-da-negea)  a  few  words  indicate 
the  state  of  affairs  in  the  region  on  both  sides  of  the 
line  where  Massachusetts  and  Vermont  border 
upon  New  York.  These  disturbances,  reaching 
far  into  the  New  England  states,  were  frequent  as 
late  as  1872.  The  writer  says:  "  Their  chastise 
ment  by  Major  Ross  [one  of  Washington's  com 
manders  who  had  surprised  and  defeated  the  hos 
tile  Indians  in  eastern  New  York],  equally  severe 
and  unexpected,  had  discouraged  the  enemy  from 
making  any  further  attempt  in  that  quarter.  Not, 
however,  that  the  Indians  were  entirely  quiet.  On 
the  contrary,  they  hung  around  the  borders  of  the 
settlements  in  small  parties,  sometimes  causing 
serious  alarm  and  at  others  great  trouble  and 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  45 

fatigue,  and  likewise  inflicting  considerable  in 
jury." 

How  clearly  in  my  childhood  grandfather  de 
scribed  to  me  those  wild  red  men,  some  of  whom 
were  still  in  his  youth  inhabitants  of  New  England. 
He  talked  of  their  war-paint ;  of  their  dress  made 
of  skins  of  animals ;  of  their  queer  tents,  wigwams, 
and  lodges;  of  their  straight  and  heavy  jet-black 
hair ;  of  the  eagle  feathers  and  ornaments  for  their 
chiefs  and  their  women;  of  their  weapons,  their 
bows  and  arrows  of  different  sorts,  and  their  cruel 
tomahawks  and  scalping-knives.  I  had  at  that 
time  never  seen  an  Indian,  nor  do  I  remember  to 
have  looked  at  pictures  of  them  till  about  two  years 
later,  when  father  brought  home,  on  his  return 
from  Troy,  New  York,  my  first  geography  and 
atlas.  These  contained  pictures  of  the  aborigines. 
Better  than  prints  my  grandfather's  clear  and 
pleasant  voice  had  set  the  reality  before  my  mind, 
just  how  they  looked  and  lived  and  fought.  My 
heart  for  years  was  steeled  against  such  wild,  un 
merciful  savages,  who,  worse  than  Tories,  spared 
nobody,  not  even  women  and  children.  It  took 
the  broadening  influence  of  years,  and  the  stories 
of  William  Penn,  and  of  Pocahontas,  besides  the 
persuasive  charm  of  James  Fenimore  Cooper's 
novels,  to  allay  my  strong  prejudice  and  show  me 
the  equal  or  greater  sinfulness  of  the  Anglo-Saxon. 

I  was  greatly  interested  in  grandfather's  de 
scription  of  the  way  he  and  his  men  were  called  out 
to  guard  a  village,  and  how  they  picketed  a  grove 
or  forest.  The  watchmen  on  the  outer  lines,  like 
our  pickets,  were  placed  within  hearing  of  each 


46  MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

other.  They  habitually  lay  upon  the  ground  and 
concealed  themselves  behind  logs,  stumps,  and 
trees.  Their  blunderbusses  had  at  first  a  match 
lock  and  later  the  flint  and  priming  powder.  In 
complete  readiness  the  men  would  lie  for  hours 
perfectly  silent. 

An  Indian  spy  would  creep  up  so  quietly  that 
his  approach  could  with  difficulty  be  detected.  On 
one  occasion,  after  an  alarm  my  grandfather's  men 
were  distributed  as  explained,  and  he  was  with 
them  helping  to  keep  watch.  About  midnight  an 
Indian  succeeded  in  getting  within  a  few  paces  of 
one  of  the  watchmen  without  detection;  suddenly 
he  heard  a  sound  and  fell  upon  his  face,  remaining 
for  some  time  motionless ;  at  last,  thinking  that  he 
was  mistaken  with  regard  to  the  proximity  of  a 
white  man,  the  Indian  raised  his  head  just  a  little 
to  look  around,  when  the  watchman,  catching  a 
glimpse,  fired,  hitting  the  Indian  in  the  throat ;  he 
gave  a  gurgling  sound  and  fell  dead.  The  death  of 
that  spy  caused  his  comrades  to  flee  and  grand 
father  scored  a  victory  for  his  company. 

His  work  in  the  Revolution  and  in  the  local  dis 
turbances  of  his  state,  such  as  I  have  referred  to, 
appeared  to  be  very  much  in  his  mind  and  was  often 
the  subject  of  his  conversation  with  me  and  with 
others  in  my  presence.  He  was  never  wholly  free 
from  the  startling  impressions  of  those  younger 
days ;  they  troubled  his  dreams  and  disturbed  his 
sleep.  He  fought  over  again,  as  I  well  remember, 
in  his  night  visions,  sometimes  with  actual  demon 
stration,  his  never-forgotten  battles. 

At  the  time  of  my  father's  death,  which  pc- 


PLATE 


XI  1 


BOY'S  BUCKSKIN  SHIRT:  GIRL'S  BUCKSKIN  BEADED  LEGGINGS, 
BELT,  POUCHES,  ETC. 


For  Jsescziptlon  see  pagre     13 


AMONG    OUR    HOSTILE    INDIANS  49 

curred  when  I  was  nine  years  of  age,  in  April, 
1840,  I  had  two  brothers,  one  four  years  and  the 
other  eight  years  younger  than  myself.  One  Sun 
day  morning,  six  months  before  this  event,  my 
father  had  called  me  from  a  distant  field  in  order 
that  I  might  accompany  him  and  my  mother  to  the 
church  at  Leeds  Centre.  The  wind  was  blowing 
in  his  face  and  made  it  difficult  for  me  to  catch  the 
sound  of  his  voice.  I  came  at  once,  but  for  some 
reason  was  excused  from  going  with  them.  The 
strain  of  the  morning  had  been  too  much  for  the 
lungs  of  my  good  father,  and  he  was  seized  with  a 
hemorrhage  while  he  was  sitting  in  his  pew  during 
the  church  service.  I  was  much  startled  and  af 
fected  by  the  return  of  my  father  and  mother 
earlier  than  usual,  and  by  his  illness,  which  was 
accompanied  with  constant  bleeding  that  seemed 
impossible  to  control. 

When  he  died,  the  grief  of  my  mother,  the 
gloom  of  the  household,  and  all  the  circumstances 
of  the  funeral,  the  first  which  I  had  ever  witnessed, 
gave  a  new  coloring  to  my  thoughts  and  cast  a 
shadow  upon  my  young  life.  I  began  to  feel  the 
responsibility  of  being  the  eldest  child  in  the  little 
family,  and  my  mother  began  to  advise  with  me  as 
with  a  friend.  This  epoch  —  my  father's  death  - 
soon  separated  me  from  my  grandfather.  He  went 
to  live  with  his  son  Stillman  Howard,  some  three 
miles  distant  from  the  old  homestead,  and  I  saw 
him  only  occasionally  from  that  time  till  his  death. 
This  occurred  while  I  was  away  at  North  Yarmouth 
Academy  attending  a  school  preparatory  to  col 
lege.  Could  I  have  anticipated  the  consequences 


50  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

of  such  a  separation,  I  think  I  should  have  fore 
stalled  them  and  spent  four  years  more  with  my 
grandfather.  From  ten  to  fourteen  what  might  I 
not  have  gained  in  veritable  historic  knowledge  of 
the  Eevolutionary  War,  and  of  the  Indian  tribes 
of  the  east  and  north  which  were  round  about  him 
in  his  early  life  ? 

With  a  view  to  make  the  sketch  of  these  early 
days  more  complete,  prior  to  my  special  acquaint 
anceship  and  extensive  experience  with  various 
Indian  tribes,  I  may  say  that  after  a  little  more 
than  a  year  my  widowed  mother  married  Colonel 
John  Gilmore.  and  moved  to  South  Leeds,  where, 
on  his  larger  estate,  the  Gilmore  and  Howard  fam 
ilies  were  united,  and  lived  on  very  happily  with  a 
degree  of  prosperity  which  mother's  boys  were 
ever  pleased  to  recall. 

It  was  soon  after  this  that  I  was  sent  away  from 
home  in  order  that  I  might  enjoy  greater  educa 
tional  advantages  than  the  school  in  our  neighbor 
hood  afforded.  The  year  before  I  was  twelve  it 
was  arranged  that  I  should  go  to  Hallowell,  situ 
ated  just  below  Augusta  on  the  Kennebec  River. 
Here  I  lived  with  my  mother's  brother,  the  Honor 
able  John  Otis,  performing  the  tasks  of  a  man-of- 
all-work  for  my  board,  and  going  to  the  village 
high  school,  kept  by  Mr.  Jonas  Burnham,  who  had 
been  a  classmate  of  my  uncle  in  Bowdoin  College. 
At  this  school,  where  I  stayed  for  nearly  two  years, 
I  entered  with  a  class  upon  a  college  preparation, 
making  considerable  progress  not  only  in  English 
studies,  but  in  both  Latin  and  Greek. 

In  the  same  village  lived  another  relative  wrho 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  51 

exerted  a  great  influence  upon  my  life,  my  mother's 
father,  Oliver  Otis.  As  I  was  born  the  day  he 
was  sixty-two  years  old,  my  mother  gave  me 
his  name.  He  was  a  man  of  mark,  careful  and 
conscientious  in  everything  that  he  did,  especially 
so  in  the  making,  keeping,  and  expending  of  money. 
Just  before  he  died  he  called  me  to  him  and  talked 
with  me  faithfully  concerning  my  future.  One 
expression  which  I  did  not  quite  understand  when 
he  uttered  it  has  always  remained  in  my  mind: 
"  Otis,  be  sure  always  to  treat  your  employees  with 
kindness."  The  prospect  of  my  ever  having  the 
privilege  of  employing  anybody  was  not  then  very 
clear;  but  how  many  thousands  have  since  come 
under  my  command  as  an  officer,  or  have  been 
otherwise  employed  for  useful  service. 

During  the  summer  vacation  I  used  to  ride  with 
my  uncle  to  his  farm  a  few  miles  outside  the  vil 
lage,  and  do  what  a  strong,  healthy  boy  of  my  age 
could  accomplish  in  the  farm  work  by  helping 
others.  In  these  two  years,  with  varied  experi 
ences,  I  gained  my  uncle 's  good  will  and  confidence. 
A  little  later  he  became  the  member  of  Congress 
from  his  district  and  was  in  position,  as  we  shall 
see,  to  do  his  favorite  nephew  a  good  turn. 

In  the  spring  of  1845,  after  being  well  fitted 
out  with  home-made  clothing,  I  was  taken,  together 
with  my  luggage,  in  a  sleigh,  which  we  called  a 
"  pung,"  from  Leeds  to  North  Yarmouth.  There 
I  undertook  to  put  a  two  years'  course  of  study 
into  one.  Being  behind  the  class  which  was  to  enter 
college  in  June,  1846,  I  determined  to  catch  up 
with  the  others  and  to  enter  upon  the  college  course 


52  MY   LIFE   AND   PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

with  them  at  that  time.  We  had  an  example  before 
us  of  a  young  man,  Spencer  Wells,  who  had  done 
so.  Following  his  example  I  had  a  standing  desk 
and  sometimes  actually  worked  at  my  books  from 
sixteen  to  twenty  hours  out  of  the  twenty-four. 
This  course  enabled  me  to  enter  college  a  year 
before  the  Hallowell  class,  but  I  believe  now  that 
it  was  a  positive  detriment  to  my  scholarship,  be 
cause  my  preparation  was  not  as  thorough  as  it 
ought  to  have  been,  and  the  reaction  upon  my 
physical  strength  weakened  my  subsequent  efforts 
the  first  year  in  college.  Poor  Spencer  Wells  lost 
his  health  after  a  few  years,  later  his  mind  failed, 
and  he  died  a  complete  wreck  in  an  asylum.  Cer 
tainly  overstraining  in  anything,  especially  in 
study,  is  not  the  part  of  wisdom. 

In  college  I  stood  fairly  well  in  my  studies  for 
one  so  young ;  but  I  think  the  greatest  gain  to  me 
came  from  my  intimate  connection  with  college 
mates,  and  with  the  members  of  the  faculty,  every 
one  of  whom  has  left  a  good  record  of  character 
and  of  instruction  that  no  student  of  the  college 
will  ever  forget.  Among  my  classmates  were  young 
men  whose  names  have  become  of  national  repute, 
such  as  Hon.  William  P.  Frye,  Rev.  Dr.  John  S. 
Sewall,  and  Prof.  Carl-oil  S.  Everett  of  Harvard 
University. 

As  I  was  finishing  my  course  of  four  years  at 
Bowdoin,  my  uncle,  of  \vhom  I  have  spoken,  gave 
me  a  nomination  as  a  cadet  to  the  Military  Academy 
at  West  Point.  My  decision  as  to  whether  I  should 
accept  the  appointment  that  ensued,  or  not,  was 
held  under  consideration  for  a  few  days.  Our 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  53 

different  studies  had  been  finished  and  the  exami 
nations  properly  passed,  and  a  Commencement 
part  was  assigned  to  me.  At  that  time,  in  1846, 
from  the  final  examinations  to  the  Commencement 
proper,  a  period  of  nearly  two  months  was  allowed 
the  students  to  prepare  for  the  Commencement  ex 
ercises.  Much  was  made  of  the  graduating  day 
and  every  senior  looked  forward  to  it  with  intense 
interest,  as  it  was  indeed  the  crowning  epoch  of 
college  life.  Meanwhile,  I  returned  to  my  home  at 
Leeds  and  showed  my  mother,  with  whom  I  coun 
seled  at  every  important  step,  my  cadet  nomination 
and  appointment.  She  shook  her  head;  she  did 
not  quite  like  to  have  me  become  a  soldier,  but 
when  she  looked  into  my  eyes  she  said  at  once :  "  I 
must  leave  this  matter  to  you ;  I  see  you  have  al 
ready  made  up  your  mind." 

I  accepted  the  appointment  after  being  excused 
from  our  Commencement,  and,  furnished  with  such 
articles  of  wearing  apparel  as  the  West  Point 
circular  prescribed,  set  out  from  Leeds  for  the 
Military  Academy.  My  kind  step-father,  Colonel 
Gilmore,  took  me  and  my  small  trunk  in  his  wagon 
as  far  as  Lewiston,  the  factory  town  near  the  falls 
of  the  Androscoggin,  twelve  miles  below  us.  I 
bade  him  farewell,  with  difficulty  repressing  my 
emotions  as  he  spoke  his  last  words  of  affection 
and  good  will.  From  Lewiston  I  went  by  the  new 
" Atlantic  &  St.  Lawrence  Eailroad  "  to  Portland; 
a  night  on  the  steamer  brought  me  to  Boston ;  by 
the  Old  Colony  route  I  went  on  to  New  York, 
spending  another  night  upon  one  of  those  Long 
Island  Sound  steamers,  then  considered  palatial. 


54  MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

It  took  four  days  in  all  to  complete  the  journey. 
Twenty-four  hours  will  now  take  one  from  Leeds 
Centre  to  the  city  of  New  York. 

How  immense  the  metropolis  of  fifty  years  ago 
appeared  to  my  inexperienced  vision !  and  yet  the 
changes  since  are  so  numerous  that  it  is  difficult  to 
recognize  the  city  of  those  days  in  the  present  New 
York.  It  covers  five  times  more  ground  than  it 
did  then.  Its  principal  business  buildings,  at  that 
time  never  more  than  three  stories  in  height,  now 
run  from  ten  to  twenty  or  more ;  and  the  popula 
tion  going  in  and  out  marches  in  processions  larger 
than  brigades  and  divisions  of  a  great  army.  The 
Astor  House  was  then  the  first-class  hotel,  and  the 
Washington  House,  near  the  foot  of  Broadway, 
furnished  me  my  first  entertainment. 

In  the  morning  I  entered  a  car  of  the  Hudson 
River  Railroad  at  Chambers  Street,  and  ascended 
the  river  to  have  my  first  view  of  the  changing  and 
variegated  scenery  all  the  way  from  the  city  to  the 
Highlands;  surely  there  is  none  more  attractive, 
none  grander  in  any  country  on  the  globe.  In  two 
hours  time  we  reached  Cold  Spring,  three  miles 
north  of  West  Point.  After  a  few  inquiries,  I 
managed  to  find  my  way  to  the  dock  with  my  small 
trunk,  and  arranged  with  the  boatmen  to  be  taken 
over  to  the  Academy.  Among  other  passengers  was 
a  tall,  rather  slenderly  built,  genteel-looking  man, 
wearing  spectacles.  His  familiarity  with  every 
thing  attracted  my  attention,  and  shortly  after  we 
had  started  he  gave  me  his  name  as  Captain  E. 
Kirby  Smith.  The  pleasant  manner  in  which  he 
drew  me  into  conversation  had  a  peculiar  charm  in 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  55 

it.  He  gave  me  many  useful  lessons  while  we  were 
together,  and  must  have  been  amusingly  entertained 
over  my  questions  and  answers,  which  doubtless 
recalled  his  own  similar  experiences. 

Of  course  I  was  in  haste  to  report  immediately 
on  my  arrival,  as  the  written  instructions  required, 
but  Captain  Smith  advised  me  to  go  first  to  the 
West  Point  hotel  and  stay  there  that  night,  because 
neither  the  superintendent's  nor  adjutant's  office 
would  be  open  to  me  till  the  orderly  hour,  nine 
o'clock  the  next  morning.  He  further  suggested 
that  I  go  to  the  evening  parade  and  to  guard- 
mounting  early  on  the  morrow,  and  look  on  so  as 
to  get  a  little  used  to  my  surroundings  before  un 
dertaking  anything  else.  This  kind  officer,  early 
in  the  Civil  War,  joined  the  Confederacy.  In  the 
first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  on  the  right  of  McDowell's 
line,  I  met  him  in  battle.  He  was  wounded  in  the 
action,  but  we  were  defeated. 

By  Captain  Smith 's  courtesy  and  timely  infor 
mation  given  me  on  the  ferryboat  I  escaped  much 
of  the  annoyance  to  which  every  new  cadet,  even 
in  those  good  old  days,  was  exposed.  There  was, 
however,  no  serious  hazing  to  trouble  me,  a  little 
fun  in  the  line  of  compliments  coming  from  certain 
yearlings  at  my  expense,  a  few  orders  to  bring 
buckets  of  fresh  water  for  my  tent-mates,— this  is 
all  that  I  remember.  Hazing  of  the  freshmen  in 
college  had  been  much  worse. 

The  genuine  set-up  drill  which  we  September 
cadets  (usually  called  "  Septs  ")  had  to  go  through 
with  three  times  a  day  was  the  greater  trial.  Hav 
ing  been  a  teacher  of  winter  schools,  a  principal  of 


56  MY   LIFE   AND   PERSONAL   EXPERIENCES 


a  fall  high  school,  and  a  graduate  of  Bowdoin,  I 
believe  I  had  acquired  at  that  time  a  self-reliance 
and  a  pride  of  bearing  that  I  never  again  realized. 
Shortly  after  my  appointment  as  a  cadet  I  was 
warned  by  a  West  Point  graduate  to  dispense  with 
my  silk  hat  and  cane.  I  did  this  with  some  reluct 
ance,  for  the  passing  so  soon  from  the  college 
senior's  dignity  to  the  lowly  position  of  a  u  plebe  '! 
at  West  Point  had  a  peculiar  bitterness  in  it  that 
no  philosophy  could  wholly  alleviate. 

Two  cadet  corporals  were  put  over  our  two 
squads,  having  five  or  six  "  Septs  "  in  each.  These 
corporals,  to  my  relief,  now  and  then  exchanged 
work ;  one  was  a  martinet,  curt  and  severe  in  man 
ner,  while  the  other  was  dignified  and  always 
courteous  in  giving  his  orders  and  in  all  he  said  to 
us.  "  Stand  straight,  sir!  Put  your  heels  to 
gether;  draw  in  your  chin  and  your  stomach; 
steady  there!  Head  straight  back;  raise  the 
shoulders  slightly;  keep  the  little  fingers  on  the 
seams  of  your  trousers!''  One  corporal  after  a 
command  would  say  to  me :  i  i  What  are  you  about, 
Howard  ?  Try  to  behave  like  a  man  and  not  like  a 
monkey! ':  The  other,  Corporal  Boggs,  bless  his 
heart !  always  omitted  the  offensive  addenda. 

In  a  few  weeks  the  "  Septs  "  obtained  their 
cadet  suits  of  uniform,  were  incorporated  in  the 
battalion,  and  lost  forever,  to  their  comfort,  that 
unenviable  distinction  which  they  had  experienced 
while  their  squad  drill  continued.  At  the  end  of 
August  the  summer  encampment  broke  up  just 
after  the  furlough  class  had  returned,  and  all 
moved  together  into  barracks. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  57 

I  will  not  attempt  here  to  detail  my  West  Point 
experiences  and  associations.  From  them  was 
derived  much  of  my  knowledge  of  the  principal 
actors  in  our  country's  later  history.  Their  public 
work  ranges  from  1850  till  today/ 

My  classmate  John  T.  Grebble  was  the  first  to 
fall  in  battle  at  Big  Bethel,  Va.  His  rank,  by  the 
prompt  action  of  the  War  Department  on  receiv 
ing  the  news  of  his  death,  became  that  of  a  Colonel. 
O'Connor,  Smead,  Davis,  and  others  wrere  early 
killed  in  action,  each  having  risen  to  the  Colonel's 
grade.  In  fact,  many  of  my  choicest  friends  and 
associates  did  not  rise  above  the  rank  of  field 
officers. 

Thomas,  Sheridan,  Gregg,  Forsythe,  Henry, 
Crook,  Bliss,  Carr,  Miller,  and  McCook,  of  my 
Military  Academy  friends,  had  extensive  experi 
ence  in  dealing  with  Indians,  both  in  war  and  in 
peace.  Their  service  on  the  plains  was  important 
both  before  and  after  our  civil  war;  so  that  in 
bringing  together  in  this  work  my  varied  experi- 

*  There  I  met  and  had  personal  acquaintance  with  Abbott,  Alex 
ander,  Ames,  Baird,  Bayard,  Bingham,  Bliss,  Breck,  Boggs,  Crook, 
Craighill,  Casey,  Comstock,  Carroll,  Carr,  Deshler,  Delafield,  Evans, 
Forsythe,  Field,  Fry,  Gilbert,  Gilmore,  Gillespie,  Greene,  Gracie,  Gar- 
rard,  Gregg,  Hardee,  Holabird,  Hawkins,  Henry,  Haskell,  Hascall, 
Harker,  Jones  (Roger),  Jones  (Samuel),  Kearney,  Kilpatrick,  Lee  (R. 
E.),  Lee  (G.  W.  Custis),  Lee  (Stephen  D.),  Lee  (Fitzhugh),  McClellan, 
McPherson,  McKeever,  Michie,  McCook,  Miller,  Morgan,  Merritt,  Perry, 
Fender,  Pennington,  Porter  (Fitz  John),  Ruggles,  Reynolds  (J.  J.), 
Reynolds  (John  F.),  Ruger,  Sheridan,  Stuart,  Schofield,  Sawtelle,  Smith 
(G.  W.),  Smith  (E.  Kirby),  Stanley,  Smith  (W.  S.),  Slocum,  Saxton, 
Thomas  (Geo.  H.),  Thomas  (Lorenzo),  Townsend,  Villepigue,  Vincent, 
Williams  (Seth),  Williams  (Robert),  Wright  (Moses),  Weitzel,  Walker, 
Wheeler  (Junius),  Wheeler  (Joseph),  Whipple,  Wilcox,  Wilson  (J. 
M.),  Wilson  (J.  Harry  J,  Warren,  Weed,  all  of  whom  reached  the  grade 
of  general  officers  either  in  the  line  or  staff. 


58  MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

ences  among  the  Indians,  and  events  with  which 
I  was  directly  or  indirectly  connected,  I  naturally 
begin  at  West  Point. 

Just  after  I  entered  the  academy,  on  my  first 
half  holiday  in  barracks,  I  sauntered  out  to  ex 
amine  the  surroundings,  with  my  roommate 
Thomas  J.  Treadwell,  who  had  come  to  West 
Point  from  Dartmouth  College  and  was  a  genial 
companion.  As  we  passed  down  the  pathway 
near  the  Hudson  River  the  first  noticeable  ob 
ject  we  came  upon  was  the  monument  erected 
to  the  memory  of  Major  F.  L.  Bade  and  his 
detachment  of  over  a  hundred  officers  and  men. 
Its  simple  structure  and  the  history  engraven 
upon  it  greatly  impressed  me.  As  it  was  alto 
gether  a  new  chapter  in  my  knowledge  of  In 
dian  matters,  I  will  here  introduce,  with  some 
detail,  the  story  of  the  brave  major  and  his  fellow 
soldiers  who  bedewed  with  their  blood  the  soil  of 
Florida,  which  the  Seminole  Indians  claimed  as 
their  own,  and  for  which  they  were  so  fiercely 
fighting. 


CHAPTER  II. 

CHASING  INDIANS  THROUGH  THE  EVERGLADES  OF  FLORIDA 

-INDIAN  FIGHTERS  WHO  AFTERWARDS  BECAME  GREAT 

MILITARY  LEADERS  IN  THE  CIVIL  WAR. 

The  Story  of  Major  Dade  —  Indian  Campaigns  in  Florida  —  General 
Sherman's  Early  Indian  Experiences  —  In  the  Heart  of  the  Ever- 
'  glades  —  A  Sudden  and  Unexpected  Attack  —  Massacre  of  Major 
Dade  and  His  Command  —  Viewing  the  Slain  and  Mutilated  Bodies 
of  Our  Troops  —  Defeat  and  Flight  of  the  Indians  —  My  First 
Meeting  with  General  George  H.  Thomas  —  Some  of  His  Early  In 
dian  Experiences  —  His  Own  Account  of  a  "  Scout "  Against  the 
Apaches  —  Pulling  Arrows  out  of  His  Own  Flesh  —  His  Unwaver 
ing  Loyalty  to  the  Union. 

FROM  the  simple  inscription  on  the  monument 
to  Major  Dade  and  his  comrades  in  arms  we 
did  not  gather  all  the  facts  set  forth  in  this 
chapter.  That  it  was  a  massacre,  however,  was  evi 
dent  enough.  Upon  myself,  in  spite  of  my  sanguine 
temperament  and  hopeful  disposition,  I  confess 
that  the  monument  alone  had  a  sufficiently  depress 
ing  effect,  which  was  not  relieved  when  a  little  later 
I  studied  the  details  of  the  situation  in  the  library 
of  the  academy.  I  felt  as  I  did  when  I  once  stood 
beside  a  target  riddled  with  bullets  and  my  com 
panion  asked :  "  How  would  you  like  to  face  that, 
Howard?''  I  answered  resolutely:  "  What  of 
that?"  but  in  my  heart  I  long  remembered  the 
warning. 

Francis  L.  Dade,  who,  like  Admiral  Dewey, 
had  his  one  opportunity,  entered  the  United  States 
service  in  the  12th  Infantry,  the  29th  of  March, 


60  MY   LIFE   AND   PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

1813.  He  was  promoted  step  by  step  through  dif 
ferent  grades  to  a  captaincy,  and  in  1826  became 
a  major  by  brevet,  "  for  ten  years'  faithful  service 
in  one  grade."  The  record  in  the  old  register 
gives  these  words  at  the  close  of  his  career :  '"  Mas 
sacred  by  Indians  in  Florida  the  28th  of  December, 
1835." 

The  bands  of  Indians  with  which  he  had  to  do, 
and  which  caused  the  United  States  so  much  in 
treasure  and  in  precious  blood,  occupied  the  penin 
sula  of  Florida,  and  were  well  known  as  the 
Seminoles.  Their  mode  of  life,  dress,  wigwams,  and 
weapons  for  war  and  for  the  chase  differed  little 
from  those  of  kindred  neighboring  tribes,  such  as 
the  Creeks  and  Choctaws,  with  whom  they  traded 
and  intermarried. 

In  studying  the  early  career  of  General  W.  T. 
Sherman  years  ago  I  wrote:  "It  indicates  the 
rapid  changes  of  army  life  to  find  Lieutenant  Sher 
man,  in  the  October  after  his  graduation,  in  charge 
of  a  company  en  route  for  Florida."  Soon  after 
his  arrival  at  St.  Augustine  Sherman  ascended  the 
Indian  River.  He  noticed  and  remembered  every 
thing,  the  bar,  the  surf,  the  incoming  tide,  the 
shape  of  the  inlet,  the  Mangrove  Islands,  the  roost 
ing  pelicans,  the  gulls  without  number  tilting  their 
white  wings  in  the  air,  and  other  birds  poising  and 
sailing  and  screaming  over  his  head,  the  water 
swarming  with  fish,  the  phosphoric  effect  in  the 
wake  of  the1  boat,  but  particularly  the  exciting 
stories  of  exploits  in  the  Indian  wars,  which  the 
pilot  depicted  in  a  vivid  and  spirited  style. 

A  few  sketches  from  Sherman's  pen  indicate 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  61 

the  nature  of  the  country  and  the  character  of  the 
officers'  work.  They  chased  the  Indians  through 
the  everglades,  occasionally  capturing  men,  women 
and  children;  they  surprised  a  Seininole  camp, 
killing  some  warriors  and  capturing  others.  Lieu 
tenant  Van  Vliet,  Sherman's  lifelong  friend,  shot 
at  warriors  while  he  was  riding  at  full  speed  among 
the  trees;  Sergeant  Broderick  gained  a  victory 
over  three  dusky  Seminoles,  which  triumph  he 
thought  fit  to  celebrate  by  a  spree,  and  so  on. 

In  retrospect  years  afterward  Sherman  said: 
"Florida  was  the  Indian's  paradise."  Here  it- 
was  that  he  came  into  close  relationship  with  Gen 
eral  Ord  and  General  George  H.  Thomas.  They 
were  acquainted  at  West  Point,  it  is  true,  but  never 
became  as  intimate  as  when  serving  together  in 
such  a  unique,  isolated  region  as  was  then  found 
amid  the  islands,  the  numerous  lakes,  and  the 
curious  everglades  of  Florida. 

•  Such  was  the  situation  in  Florida  during  the 
first  war  between  our  troops  and  the  Seminoles. 
Of  course  this  war  was  not  confined  to  the  parties 
named,  but,  as  usual  after  an  uprising,  the  savages 
moved  against  the  settlements,  burning  the  houses, 
killing  men,  women,  and  children,  and  carrying  off 
the  stock.  It  is  difficult  to  say  what  were  the 
causes  of  the  Indian  outbreaks  in  1835  which  led 
up  to  the  massacres.  The  alleged  difficulties  began 
upon  complaints  of  the  settlers  that  the  Indians 
ran  off  their  stock  and  harbored  their  escaping 
slaves.  The  Indians,  on  their  side,  insisted  that 
the  entire  peninsula,  particularly  the  interior,  in 
cluding  rivers,  lakes,  and  everglades,  belonged  to 


62  MY   LIFE   AND   PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

them  by  absolute  title,  and  that  the  whites  had  no 
right  to  settle  there. 

Several  councils  took  place  from  time  to  time 
after  Florida  came  into  our  possession.  At  a  cele 
brated  council  held  May  9,  1832,  the  "  Treaty  of 
Payne 's  Landing  ' '  was  concluded,  and  it  was  rati 
fied  in  April,  1834.  This  treaty  was  to  the  effect 
that  the  Seminoles  should  relinquish  to  the 
United  States  all  their  claim  to  the  land  they 
occupied  in  Florida,  should  emigrate  to  the  Creeks 
beyond  the  Mississippi,  and  become  a  part  of  the 
Creek  Nation.  This  treaty  was  signed  by  James 
Gadsden,  Commissioner  of  the  United  States,  and 
purported  to  be  signed  on  the  part  of  the  Indians 
by  fifteen  chiefs  of  the  Seminoles.  Each  chief  was 
the  leader  of  a  tribe.  In  reality  only  eight  out  of 
the  fifteen  assented  to  the  treaty.  The  case  was  the 
same  as  with  the  Nez  Perces  with  whom  I  had  to 
do  in  after  years.  The  minority  of  the  non-treaty 
Indians  was  indeed  too  large  to  be  ignored. 

Long  before  Payne's  Treaty  was  enacted  a 
great  half-breed  leader,  Osceola,  who  properly  be 
longed  with  the  Creeks,  had  come  into  Florida  and 
been  accepted  as  the  principal  war  chief  of  the 
Seminoles.  The  mother  of  Osceola  belonged  to 
the  Red  Stick  tribe  of  the  Creek  Nation.  She  was 
the  wife  of  a  British  trader  by  the  name  of  Powell, 
so  that  Osceola  had  English  blood.  Some  trouble 
arose  in  the  family,  which  aroused  her  anger  to 
such  an  extent  that  she  took  her  son  away  and  re 
turned  to  her  own  people.  Soon  after  this,  in 
1808,  Powell  moved  to  the  West,  taking  both  of 
his  daughters  with  him,  leaving  Osceola  and  his 


AMONG  OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  63 

mother  with  the  Indians  in  the  southern  part  of 
Georgia. 

When,  in  1817,  General  Jackson  was  pushing 
the  Indians  southward,  Osceola,  already  an  ac 
knowledged  leader,  retreated  before  him  and  finally 
settled  near  Fort  King,  Florida,  uniting  his  for 
tunes  with  a  branch  of  the  Seminoles.  At  the  time 
that  Payne's  Treaty  was  signed  he  declared  that 
he  would  not  sign  it  and  that  he  would  kill  any  of 
his  followers  who  did  so.  Osceola 's  bad  temper  was 
shown  as  early  as  1834,  when  a  United  States  Sur 
vey  Corps  was  camping  at  Fort  King.  Captain 
Ming,  the  commander  of  the  corps,  received  a  visit 
from  Osceola,  who  declined  every  friendly  invita 
tion  and  refused  to  break  bread  with  the  white  men. 
In  council,  showing  a  menacing  manner  and  seiz 
ing  the  surveyor's  chain,  he  said:  "  If  you  cross 
my  land  I  will  break  this  chain  in  as  many  pieces 
as  there  are  links  in  it,  and  then  throw  the  pins  so 
far  you  can  never  get  them  again!  " 

On  another  occasion  General  Wiley  Thompson, 
the  Indian  agent,  ordered  Osceola  to  come  up  and 
sign  the  emigration  list.  He  replied, '  *  I  will  not ! ' : 
Thompson  told  him  of  President  Jackson,  the  big 
chief  in  Washington,  who  would  teach  him  better. 
Osceola  answered:  "  I  care  no  more  for  Jackson 
than  for  you ! ' :  Then  going  to  the  treaty  he  stuck 
his  knife  through  the  parchment. 

For  a  short  time  Osceola  was  imprisoned  on 
account  of  his  contumacy,  but  somehow  he  managed 
to  secure  his  release  and  then  immediately  began 
to  prepare  his  warriors  for  battle.  They  were  se 
cretly  ordered  to  have  their  knives  in  readiness, 


64  MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

their  rifles  on  hand,  and  plenty  of  powder.  He  went 
from  place  to  place,  hardly  stopping  for  food  or 
rest  until  he  had  collected  a  strong  Indian  force. 
The  first  actual  bloodshed  came  from  the  side  of 
the  whites.  They  publicly  whipped  five  Indians 
whom  they  caught  in  the  act  of  stealing.  Then  an 
Indian  was  killed  and  three  whites  were  wounded. 
Next,  a  dispatch  rider,  Aug.  11,  1835,  carrying  the 
mails  between  Fort  Brooke  and  Fort  King,  was 
murdered.  Hostilities  quickly  followed,  beginning 
with,  the  slaying  of  Charlie  Emathla,  one  of  the 
chiefs,  who  wras  friendly  to  the  whites  and  who  ad 
vocated  the  emigration. 

Soon  after  this  Osceola  selected  ten  of  his  bold 
est  warriors  who  hovered  around  the  fort  with  a 
view  of  killing  his  special  enemy,  the  Indian  agent, 
General  Thompson.  It  wras  the  afternoon  of  De 
cember  28,  1836.  The  general  and  Lieutenant 
Smith,  who  had  dined  with  him  that  day,  were 
quietly  walking  towards  the  sutler's  store  which 
was  quite  a  distance  outside  of  the  military  post. 
Osceola  and  his  band  saw  their  opportunity.  They 
cut  them  off  from  all  help  and  slew  them  both. 
General  Thompson  was  perforated  with  fourteen 
bullets  and  Smith  with  five.  At  the  sutler's  store 
they  killed  the  trader  and  four  others,  robbed  the 
store,  and  set  fire  to  the  building.  The  smoke  from 
the  burning  building  gave  the  first  alarm  to  the 
garrison  at  Fort  King. 

Osceola,  who  had  long  hated  General  Thomp 
son,  had  ordered  his  larger  force,  numbering  nearly 
eight  hundred  Indians,  to  push  on  without  him 
down  the  military  road  for  fortv  miles,  and  to 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  65 

waylay  a  body  of  soldiers  which  he  had  learned 
from  his  scouts  was  coming  from  Fort  Brooke,  on 
Tampa  Bay,  to  reinforce  Fort  King.  The  wild 
and  excited  warriors  had  reached  and  passed  the 
Wahoo  Swamp  and  found  an  excellent  place  for 
an  ambuscade  five  miles  beyond.  Hoithlee  Matee 
(in  English,  "Jumper"),  a  fierce  and  persistent 
enemy  of  white  men,  was  chosen  by  Osceola  as  first 
in  command,  to  be  supported  by  Chief  Micanopy, 
an  equally  pronounced  malcontent. 

Near  the  road  in  advance  of  his  force,  like  a 
sentinel  of  a  picket-post,  Micanopy  concealed  him 
self  behind  a  tree  to  await,  with  Indian  patience, 
the  approach  of  the  Fort  Brooke  detachment. 
His  men,  with  loaded  rifles,  and  knives  in  their 
belts,  about  a  third  of  the  eight  hundred,  lay  among 
the  small  palmettos  and  in  the  tall  grass,  wholly 
hidden,  but  within  easy  range.  Jumper,  farther 
from  the  road,  arranged  the  remainder  of  his  force 
so  as  to  cut  off  every  chance  of  escape  after  the 
first  attack.  There  was  not  a  settlement,  and 
scarcely  a  ranch,  on  the  route  from  Tampa  Bay  to 
Fort  King.  The  distance  was  a  hundred  and 
eighty  miles. 

There  were  several  swamps  along  the  route, 
some  quite  extensive.  They  were  dotted  with  what 
were  called  hammocks,  small  fertile  islands  cov 
ered  with  luxuriant  vegetation.  Here  the  trees 
and  underbrush  and  vines  were  so  dense  that  hun 
dreds  of  men  could  be  concealed,  and  their  pres 
ence  not  even  be  suspected  by  soldiers  who  were 
skirmishing  through  the  thickets  till  they  were 
within  a  few  yards  of  the  hiding  place.  So  great 


66  MY   LIFE   AND   PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

was  Jumper's  confidence  in  the  bravery  and  num 
ber  of  his  Indians,  that  he  chose  for  a  battlefield  a 
thinly  wooded  tract  from  which  he  could  see  the 
soldiers  approaching  when  several  hundred  yards 
away,  and  he  used  only  the  low  palmetto  growth 
and  the  tall  and  thick  grass  for  shelter.  Such  was 
the  ambuscade,  well  planned  and  well  arranged. 

Major  Dade's  command  was  composed  of  eight 
officers  and  one  hundred  and  two  enlisted  men. 
He  took  with  him  a  wagon  hauled  by  oxen  to  carry 
the  extra  baggage,  and  a  six-pounder  field-piece 
with  all  its  equipment.  They  could  not  easily  make 
more  than  twenty  miles  a  day;  for  the  sand  was 
heavy,  and  they  had  been  several  days  on  the  march 
when  the  battle  occurred.  The  order  of  march  ap 
pears  to  have  been  an  advance  guard  which  Major 
Dade  himself  usually  accompanied,  then  the  first 
company,  with  Captain  Eraser  at  its  head,  then  the 
field-piece  followed  by  the  wagon,  and  last,  acting 
as  a  rear  guard,  the  second  company,  commanded 
by  Captain  Gardiner.  Both  companies  belonged 
to  the  Third  Artillery.  In  those  days  the  artillery 
soldiers  were  armed  and  used  as  infantry.  The 
major  belonged  to  the  Fourth  Infantry,  —  the 
regiment  to  which  Lieutenant  IT,  S.  Grant  was 
attached  after  his  graduation.  Other  officers  were 
distributed  along  the  column. 

After  a  little  experience  such  companies  swing 
along  with  an  easy  pace  at  route-step,  and  starting 
at  sunrise  could  make  a  twenty-mile  march,  even 
in  Florida,  by  one  or  two  o'clock  without  much 
fatigue.  The  oxen,  however,  when  they  were  used, 
would  regulate  the  gait  and  probably  prolong  the 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  67 

march  until  much  later  in  the  day.  Thus,  after 
their  encampment  on  the  night  of  the  27th,  without 
any  knowledge  whatever  of  the  near  proximity  of 
Indians,  Dade  and  his  men  were  marching  along 
in  their  usual  formation,  chatting  with  each  other. 
Captain  Eraser  appears  to  have  quickened  his 
pace  and  come  up  near  to  Major  Dade,  probably 
that  they  might  talk  together  more  easily  and 
while  away  the  time.  They  were  within  some  five 
miles  of  the  Wahoo  Swamp  when,  like  a  bolt  of 
lightning  from  a  clear  sky,  Micanopy's  gun  rang 
out  and  Major  Dade  fell.  Quicker  than  it  can  be 
told  his  Indians  fired  and  killed  or  wounded  the 
entire  advance  guard,  including  Captain  Eraser. 
Then  followed  a  running  fire  which  cut  off  every 
thing  in  advance  of  the  companies  proper. 

Captain  Gardiner  seems  to  have  met  the  situa 
tion  with  promptness,  coolness,  and  dispatch. 
While  some  of  his  men  were  thrown  out  to  skirmish, 
the  remainder  used  their  axes  and  shovels  with 
desperate  haste  to  throw  up  a  triangular  breast 
work  of  old  logs  and  such  trees  as  could  be  easily 
cut  down  and  thrown  together.  Naturally  this 
breastwork  was  not  very  well  laid  out,  and  before 
it  could  be  finished  a  second  attack  came  from  the 
whole  body  of  Indians,  and  the  little  force  were 
very  soon  shot  down.  All  Dade's  command  per 
ished  except  four  who  succeeded  in  making  their 
escape.  They  ran  toward  Tampa,  avoiding*  the 
roads  and  paths,  taking  themselves  as  quickly  as 
possible  to  the  swamps.  It  is  marvelous  that  they 
escaped  the  watchful  eyes  of  the  fierce  warriors. 
One  of  them,  however,  was  trailed  and  slain  by 


68  MY   LIFE   AND   PERSONAL   EXPERIENCES 

some  Indians  the  next  day,  while  three  succeeded 
in  reaching  Tampa  Bay  in  a  few  days  and  gave  a 
confused  report  of  what  had  taken  place. 

Captain  E.  A.  Hitchcock  of  the  First  Infantry, 
acting  Inspector  General,  gave  a  very  graphic  re 
port  of  the  visit  of  General  Gaines  to  the  battle 
field  February  22,  1836.  One  or  two  extracts  will 
show  something  of  the  situation.  "We  saw  first 
some  broken  and  scattered  boxes,  then  a  cart,  the 
two  oxen  of  which  were  lying  dead,  as  if  they  had 
fallen  asleep,  their  yokes  on  them;  a  little  to  the 
right  one  or  two  horses  were  seen." 

He  further  speaks  of  the  temporary  breast 
work:  "  Within  the  triangle,  along  the  north  and 
west  faces  of  it,  were  about  thirty  bodies,  mostly 
mere  skeletons,  although  much  of  the  clothing  was 
left  upon  them,  .  .  .  lying  in  precisely  the  po 
sition  they  must  have  occupied  during  the  fight, 
their  heads  next  to  the  logs  over  which  they  had 
delivered  their  fire,  and  their  bodies  stretched  with 
striking  regularity  parallel  to  each  other.  They 
had  evidently  been  shot  dead  at  their  post,  and  the 
Indians  had  not  disturbed  them  except  by  taking 
the  scalps  of  most  of  them."  General  Gaines  and 
Captain  Hitchcock  found  the  bodies  of  eight  offi 
cers  and  ninety-eight  enlisted  men.  All,  after 
being  identified,  were  carefully  buried.  The  can 
non  was  recovered  from  a  neighboring  swamp  and 
placed  in  an  upright  position  near  the  grave  of  the 
officers,  and  long  remained  there  as  a  monument 
to  mark  the  spot  where  these  brave  men  fought 
and  fell. 

In  the  very  next  battle,  where  General  Clinch 


AMONG   OUR    HOSTILE    INDIANS  69 

was  in  command,  Osceola  himself  was  present. 
He  had  increased  his  eight  hundred  Indians  to  over 
a  thousand ;  but  this  time  he  had  considerably  more 
than  one  thousand  regulars  to  face.  They  were 
marching  southward  and  met  the  hostiles  at  the 
crossing  of  the  Withlacoochee  River.  The  Indians 
followed  the  example  of  their  fierce  leader  and 
fought  with  desperation  as  long  as  their  ammuni 
tion  held  out,  intermingling  with  their  riflemen 
those  who  used  only  bows  and  arrows. 

Osceola  brought  his  warriors  into  action  in 
groups  well  arranged  to  resist  every  practicable 
crossing,  and  he  set  an  example  of  bravery  and 
effectiveness  never  exceeded  by  any  savage  leader. 
He  took  a  conspicuous  place  at  the  front,  but 
cautiously  fought  behind  tree  after  tree  as  he  ad 
vanced  or  retired,  and,  according  to  the  Indian  ac 
counts,  killed  and  wounded  more  than  forty  white 
soldiers.  Notwithstanding  the  terrible  fighting  of 
the  Indians,  General  Clinch  would  neither  give  up 
nor  retire ;  he  continued  the  conflict  till  he  had  worn 
out  his  foe,  and  at  last,  though  with  heavy  loss,  he 
succeeded  in  forcing  the  passage  of  the  river  and 
in  defeating  and  putting  to  flight  Osceola 's  entire 
force. 

While  I  was  a  cadet  I  came  in  contact,  as  I  have 
intimated,  with  many  army  officers  who  were  serv 
ing  on  the  frontier,  which  in  the  '50s  extended  be 
yond  the  Mississippi  from  the  English  possessions 
on  the  north  to  Texas  and  New  Mexico  on  the  south. 
Among  them  was  Major  Geo.  H.  Thomas,  who  had 
been  bronzed  by  much  service,  and  who  had  already 
received  three  brevet  commissions  for  gallant  con- 


70  MY   LIFE    AND   PERSONAL   EXPERIENCES 

duct  in  fighting  the  Indians  and  the  Mexicans. 
While  in  Florida  Major  Thomas  was  much  with 
Sherman  and  Ord,  who  had  been  his  mates  at  West 
Point,  and  he  participated  in  the  last  work  of  the 
army  there  under  General  Worth,  who  was  always 
a  favorite  leader  whether  warring  against  Indians 
or  white  men. 

Through  the  pathless  forests  and  swamps  the 
Indians  would  creep  and  shoot  into  a  moving 
column,  or  into  a  camp  at  midnight,  appearing  and 
disappearing  with  incredible  swiftness.  It  took 
the  best  of  health,  temperate  habits,  devotion  to 
duty,  and  great  firmness  of  character  to  spend  a 
year  in  southern  Florida  and  not  become  to  some 
degree  demoralized.  George  H.  Thomas  met  his 
first  trials  there  admirably  and  came  out  not  only 
unscathed  but  with  added  honors.  In  1841  he  par 
ticipated  in  an  Indian  expedition  and  did  such 
royal  service  that  Worth,  joining  with  his  captain, 
warmly  recommended  him  for  the  first  brevet. 

To  cadets  then  at  West  Point,  myself  included, 
Major  Thomas  of  Virginia,  who  had  been  in  bloody 
battles  and  had  been  three  times  brevetted  for  gal 
lantry,  was  not  a  figure  to  pass  without  notice. 
Even  now  I  remember  his  strong,  mandatory  voice 
while  he  drilled  us  in  artillery  amid  the  rattle  of 
the  gun-carriages  and  the  clamor  of  section  officers. 
His  soldierly  appearance  and  solid  seat  on  a  good- 
sized  horse  when  he  led  a  cavalry  charge  in  our 
cavalry  school,  or  jumped  the  hurdles,  caught 
every  eye.  It  was  especially  in  the  section-room 
that  he  was  a  favorite.  His  kind  manner  and  the 
good  marks  he  awarded  us  for  average  recitations 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  71 

made  our  boyish  hearts  glad.  After  he  left  us  he 
served  in  Texas  and  had  considerable  active  work 
among  the  roving  bands  of  Apaches. 

A  few  words  concerning  one  of  Thomas' 
"  scouts,"  from  his  own  pen,  will  give  an  idea  of  the 
perils  of  an  expedition  in  1856 :  "  As  we  were  over 
hauling  them  (the  Indians)  one  fellow  more  perse 
vering  than  the  rest,  who  still  kept  his  position  in 
rear  of  the  loose  animals,  suddenly  dismounted  and 
prepared  to  fight ;  and  our  men  in  their  eagerness  to 
dispatch  him  hurried  upon  him  so  quickly  that 
several  arrows  took  effect,  wounding  myself  in  the 
chin  and  chest,  also  Private  William  Murphy  of 
Company  D  in  the  left  shoulder,  and  Privates 
John  Tile  and  Cooper  Sidle  of  the  band  each  in  the 
leg,  before  he,  the  Indian,  fell  by  twenty  or  more 
shots."  This  scout  of  Thomas'  was  against  a  very 
wild  and  troublesome  band  of  Apaches  that  roamed 
near  the  headwaters  of  the  Concho  and  the  Colo 
rado  Rivers  of  Texas.  His  wound  was  a  very 
painful  one.  While  he  was  alone  he  had  drawn  out 
the  arrows  from  his  own  flesh  with  great  difficulty ; 
they  made  such  deep  and  serious  cuts  that  a  notice 
able  scar  was  left  upon  his  chin  and  an  uglier  one 
upon  his  breast. 

After  I  first  knew  Thomas  I  became  interested 
in  him  and  always  followed  his  career  with  eager 
attention  and  expectancy.  While  returning  from 
Texas,  on  a  leave  of  absence  after  he  had  become 
a  major  in  the  Second  Cavalry,  he  met  with  a 
serious  railroad  accident,  being  rolled  with  his  car 
down  a  steep  embankment.  This  injured  his  spine 
so  that  for  a  time  he  despaired  of  ever  being  well 


72  MY   LIFE   AND   PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

enough  again  for  field  service.  During  the  first 
few  months  of  his  disability,  he  sought  in  his  own 
state  for  some  military  school  where  he  could  re 
side  permanently  and  teach  young  men.  It  is  this 
which  gave  rise  to  the  suspicion  that  Thomas  was 
willing  to  go  South  and  join  the  forces  of  secession. 
It  is  now  well  known  that  he  never  veered  in  his 
loyalty  to  his  government.  Soon  after  the  out 
break  of  the  Civil  War,  he  was  promoted  from  a 
majority  to  the  colonelcy  of  the  Second  Cavalry, 
from  which  Lee,  Johnston,  and  Hardee  had  gone 
when  they  tendered  their  resignations  and  joined 
the  Confederacy. 

General  Thomas'  early  experiences  among  hos 
tile  Indians  for  two  periods  in  Florida,  and  one 
upon  the  frontier  of  Texas  against  the  Apaches 
and  Comanches,  largely  helped  him  to  acquire  cool 
ness  and  self-command  in  fierce  battles,  and  pre 
pared  him  in  great  measure  for  his  grand  and 
patriotic  service  in  the  Civil  War. 


CHAPTER  III. 

GRADUATING    FROM    WEST    POINT  — MY    MARRIAGE  —  FIRST 

CALL  TO  ACTIVE  DUTY  —  BREAKING  UP  OUR 

HOUSEHOLD. 

My  Graduation  from  West  Point  —  A  Memorable  Year  —  My  Marriage 
—  Settling  our  Home  —  First  Sudden  Call  to  Duty  —  The  Conster 
nation  it  Occasioned  —  Scattering  of  the  Family  —  Ordered  to 
Florida  —  A  Renowned  Indian  Fighter  —  The  Seminoles  —  Hiding 
in  the  Great  Cypress  Swamps  — "  Billy  Bowlegs,"  the  Chosen 
Seminole  Leader  —  Raiding  the  Settlements  —  An  Amusing  Inter 
preter —  Meeting  Young  Officers  Who  Were  Afterwards  Generals 
in  the  Civil  War  —  Recollections  of  Them  —  A  Crazy  Soldier  and 
an  Unpleasant  Episode  —  An  Undignified  Escape  from  Indians. 

HAVING  been  graduated  from  the  Military 
Academy  sufficiently  high  in  general  stand 
ing  in  a  class  reduced  to  thirty-six  members, 
I  was  entitled  to  a  place  in  the  topographical  engi 
neers  ;  but  I  chose  for  the  service,  as  I  had  a  right 
to  do,  the  Ordnance  Department.  After  a  pleasant 
furlough  spent  in  Maine,  I  went  to  my  first  station, 
Watervliet  Arsenal,  in  the  fall  of  1854.  In  1855, 
quite  early  in  the  season,  I  was  surprised  with  a 
separate  command,  that  of  Kennebec  Arsenal. 
That  same  year  was  furthermore  a  memorable  one 
to  me,  as  my  marriage  occurred  on  the  14th  of  Feb 
ruary  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Ann  Waite,  the  daughter 
of  Alexander  B.  Waite,  Esq.,  of  Portland.  Me.; 
the  16th  of  the  following  December  our  eldest  son, 
Guy,  was  born. 

After  being  nearly  a  year  on  duty  at  Kennebec, 
I  returned  with  my  little  family  to  Watervliet. 


74  MY  LIFE   AND   PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

We  had  excellent  quarters  which  were  made  very 
comfortable,  being  as  well  furnished  as  our  limited 
means  would  afford.  We  had  the  use  of  a  good 
garden  and  plenty  of  stable  room.  I  had  bought  a 
Canadian  pony,  and  a  carriage  and  harness,  which 
when  I  was  off  duty  afforded  us  fine  opportunities 
for  driving  about  the  country.  My  brother  and 
my  wife's  mother  had  come  from  Maine  to  live 
with  us.  He  was  attending  the  famous  law  school 
at  Albany,  and  it  was  very  convenient  for  him  to 
come  and  go  from  our  home.  Taking  it  all  in  all, 
our  comforts  and  enjoyments  were  very  complete 
when  suddenly  in  December,  1856,  I  was  ordered 
by  the  Washington  authorities  to  proceed  to 
Tampa,  Florida,  and  report  to  General  W.  S.  Har- 
ney,  then  commanding  that  department.  This  was 
the  beginning  of  my  Indian  campaigning. 

Quite  a  remnant  of  the  Seminoles  had  been  left 
hidden  in  the  Everglades  and  the  big  cypress 
swamps  when  the  great  body  of  that  nation,  at  the 
end  of  the  war  which  I  have  before  mentioned, 
were  transported  to  the  Indian  Territory.  In  ten 
years  their  numbers  had  greatly  increased.  Many 
of  the  boys  had  grown  to  manhood  and  become 
warriors.  Their  chosen  leader  was  a  singular  char 
acter,  very  plausible  in  his  deportment  and  very 
deceptive  in  his  dealings  with  white  men.  The 
name  given  him  by  the  settlers  was  "  Billy  Bow- 
legs.  "  This  chieftain  and  his  followers  had  of  late 
had  the  usual  conflicts  with  the  white  settlers,  on 
account  of  their  gradual  encroachments  upon  the 
hunting  and  fishing  grounds  still  stoutly  claimed 
by  these  Indians.  No  reasoning  would  convince 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS.  75 

them  that  the  treaty  which  had  been  signed  by  the 
heads  of  tribes  who  had  long  since  emigrated  was 
binding  upon  them. 

They  raided  the  settlements,  ran  off  cattle  and 
horses,  waylaid  wagon  trains  and  robbed  them. 
Stage  lines  became  unsafe.  Now  and  then  a  settler 
was  shot;  a  terrible  retribution  upon  the  Indians 
would  soon  follow,  and  the  middle  and  southern 
part  of  Florida  speedily  became  a  land  of  terror 
and  trouble.  The  Indian  raids  were,  of  course, 
exaggerated,  but  the  fear  of  them  was  widespread. 
Undoubtedly,  greedy  land  owners  and  many  un 
scrupulous  village  traders  took  advantage  of  the 
situation  to  magnify  rumors  and  to  call  for  troops, 
with  a  view  principally  of  furnishing  abundant 
siipplies.  They  insisted  upon  raising  volunteers, 
which,  after  being  mustered  in,  had  to  be  furnished 
with  arms,  ammunition,  and  food.  There  were,  of 
course,  not  very  many  Indians,  probably  not  to 
exceed  five  hundred  all  told,  yet  enough  to  keep  up 
a  continuous  panic  and  constant  calls  upon  the  gov 
ernment  at  Washington  for  aid. 

This  was  the  state  of  things  when  I  was  directed 
to  leave  my  home  and  report  to  General  Harney, 
the  most  renowned  Indian  fighter  that  we  had  at 
that  time  in  the  field. 

My  family,  before  many  years,  became  accus 
tomed  to  such  sudden  calls  to  duty ;  but  this  was  the 
first  one,  and  it  would  be  hard  to  exaggerate  the 
surprise  —  almost  consternation  —  which  it  pro 
duced.  Our  garden  and  house  had  to  be  given  up ; 
the  pony,  carriage,  and  harness  were  sold.  My 
household  was  divided,  the  other  members  return- 


76  MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

ing  to  Maine,  while  I  proceeded  through  Washing 
ton  to  Savannah,  Pilatka,  and  Tampa.  It  was  my 
first  journey  through  the  South,  and  from  a  thou 
sand  incidents  it  became  memorable.  Passing  from 
the  extreme  cold  of  Watervliet  to  the  sunny  shores 
of  Tampa  Bay,  no  young  man  was  ever  more  de 
lightfully  entertained  with  the  contrasts  of  scenery 
and  climate,  with  the  people,  and  the  newness  of 
his  surroundings. 

Not  finding  General  Harney  at  Tampa,  I  went 
on  board  the  old  steamer  Fashion  which  after 
wards,  during  the  Civil  War,  became  a  Confed 
erate  cruiser.  It  was  a  beautiful  moonlight  night, 
and  at  about  ten  o'clock  I  reached  the  steamer  at 
anchor.  The  weather  was  warm  and  the  bay  quiet, 
without  a  ripple  upon  its  surface.  I  seemed  to  be 
already  in  another  world,  and  in  spite  of  the  sepa 
ration  from  my  family  I  was  charmed  with  the  new 
experience.  As  soon  as  the  tides  would  permit  we 
hoisted  anchor  and  steamed  out  into  the  gulf  and 
down  to  the  mouth  of  the  Caloosahatchee  River. 
The  Fashion  was  anchored  at  this  point  (Punt a 
Rassa)  and  put  in  charge  of  some  watchmen.  The 
crew  of  the  steamer,  with  the  captain  in  command, 
lowered  their  ship's  boat,  and  taking  all  the  pas 
sengers  on  board,  myself  included,  rowed  us  up 
the  river  twenty  miles  to  Fort  Meyers,  the  first 
sizable  post  along  the  river.  The  forests  extended 
all  the  way  on  both  banks,  with  very  few  openings. 

It  was  night  when  we  reached  the  post,  —  a 
beautiful  summer  night  it  seemed  to  me.  The  post 
•was  well  laid  out  and  the  quarters  for  the  officers 
proved  very  comfortable.  I  hastened  to  find  Gen- 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  77 

eral  Harney.  He  had  been  described  to  me  as  a  tall, 
handsome  man,  often  very  severe  in  his  style  and 
hard  to  approach.  He  was  sitting  by  his  table  in  a 
sort  of  basement  office  reading  a  paper.  He  looked 
up  as  I  entered  the  door  of  his  room,  rose  and  gave 
me  a  hearty  welcome.  So  cordial  was  his  manner 
that  I  felt  I  had  been  misinformed. 

"  Why,  Mr.  Howard,"  he  said,  "I  have  long 
wanted  an  ordnance  officer,  and  I  am  glad  you  have 
come !  Take  a  seat  and  make  yourself  at  home. ' ' 
I  did  so  and  found  him  companionable,  remarkably 
so  considering  the  difference  in  rank  between  a 
brigadier-general  and  a  lieutenant.  But  in  a  few 
minutes  a  sack  of  mail-matter  was  brought  in  and 
emptied  on  his  large  table.  He  put  on  his  glasses 
and  began  to  examine  the  mail.  Something  in  a 
letter  from  Washington  displeased  him ;  he  at  once 
became  excited  and  angry,  and  his  rough  language 
corresponded  to  the  heat  of  his  passion.  I  was 
glad  to  make  some  excuse  and  retire  from  his  pres 
ence.  I  saw  then  that  Harney  in  quiet  social  life 
was  one  person,  but  quite  another  when  official 
matters  ruffled  his  temper.  Harney  was  as  hand 
some  as  Joe  Hooker  and  as  tall  as  General  Scott; 
genial  as  a  friend  in  ordinary  intercourse,  but  ter 
rible  as  an  enemy  and  often  unreasonable  as  a 
commander. 

Here  at  Fort  Meyers  on  my  first  visit  I  found 
a  camp,  or  rather  a  bivouac,  of  Seminoles  who  had 
been  captured.  At  this  season  of  the  year,  Janu 
ary,  the  climate  was  exceedingly  mild,  except  when 
a  "  Norther  "  swept  in  upon  the  fort.  During  my 
stay  there  was  a  strong  cold  wind,  sometimes  ac- 


78  MY  LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

companied  by  rain,  which  affected  our  soldiers 
quite  as  much  as  a  sudden  snowstorm  would  in 
Ohio  or  Illinois.  They  made  great  fires  near  their 
posts  when  permitted,  and  stood  shivering  around 
them  with  their  blankets  over  their  shoulders  much 
after  the  Indian  fashion.  The  Indians,  however, 
though  excited  by  the  storm  and  very  noisy  when 
they  could  get  anything  stronger  than  water  to 
drink,  appeared  less  disturbed  than  our  people  by 
the  sudden  changes  of  climate. 

They  had  for  an  interpreter  a  half-breed  usu 
ally  called  ' '  Natto, "  or  "  Natto  Joe. ' '  One  pecul 
iarity  of  Natto  was  that  in  his  talk  he  made  no 
distinction  whatever  of  sex.  When  speaking  of  a 
woman  he  always  said  "  he  "  and  "  him,"  and  he 
was  very  brief  in  his  English  utterance.  For  ex 
ample,  be  it  of  man  or  woman,  he  would  say :  "  He 
lib  Eberglade,  big  lake ! ' ?  meaning  that  he  or  she 
lived  in  the  Everglades  near  the  big  lake.  One  day 
he  ran  down  to  the  office  of  the  commander  of  the 
fort  and  cried,  in  plaintive  tones:  "  He  scream! 
He  all  over  drunk!  He  scratch  and  bite!  Natto 
Joe  'fraid!'  The  interpretation  is  that  one  of 
the  women  was  intoxicated,  and  she  was  screaming, 
scratching,  and  biting  so  that  Natto  Joe  was  afraid 
of  her.  Somehow  this  woman  had  gotten  into  her 
possession  a  bottle  of  commissary  whisky  and  was 
making  a  great  ado,  so  that  the  surrounding  woods 
resounded  with  her  wild  complaints.  Nothing  ever 
appeared  so  dreadful  to  me  or  half  so  plaintive  as 
the  cries  of  a  drunken  Indian,  and  of  course  the 
woman's  savage  shrieks  in  a  high  key  were  even 
more  wild  and  piercing. 


DOLLS, MALE  AND  FEMALE,  OF  VARIOUS  TRIBES;  DOLL  WARRIORS.  TOYS,  ETC. 

For  Description  .<;ee  page    M 

PHOTOGRAPHED  AND  PAINTED  FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  OBJECTS  EXPRESSLY  FOR  THIS  WORK. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  81 

Fort  Meyers  was  indeed  nothing  but  a  military 
post,  with  roughly-constructed  quarters  for  men 
and  officers,  and  a  few  log  buildings  for  store 
houses.  By  much  practice  the  soldiers  had  learned 
to  make  these  rough  structures  very  presentable 
and  comfortable.  With  axe  and  saw  they  cut  out 
the  material  from  the  neighboring  forests,  brought 
it  together  and  made  their  shanties,  often  begin 
ning  and  completing  a  post  in  a  single  week.  This 
post  as  I  looked  at  it  the  day  after  my  arrival  was 
very  pleasant ;  it  was  carefully  arranged  and  had 
an  abundance  of  ornamental  trees  and  shrubs. 
The  oleanders  were  especially  beautiful.  They 
were  sizable  trees,  and  later,  on  my  second  visit, 
were  in  full  bloom. 

I  met  here  for  the  first  time  several  officers  who 
later  became  very  prominent  in  our  nation's  his 
tory.  For  example,  Captain  Winfield  Scott  Han 
cock  was  the  depot  quartermaster ;  Captain  W.  W. 
Burns,  who  as  brigadier-general  commanded  Ba 
ker's  Brigade  after  the  terrible  battle  of  Ball's 
Bluff,  was  the  post  commissary;  and  Captain  Al 
fred  Pleasanton,  who  at  Gettysburg  commanded 
our  cavalry,  was  then  acting  as  Harney's  assistant 
adjutant-general.  Here,  too,  was  Captain  R.  B. 
Marcy  of  the  Fifth  Infantry,  who  became  a  major- 
general,  and  was  General  George  B.  McClellan's 
father-in-law.  He  was  very  fond  of  the  ordnance 
department  and  often  invited  me  to  his  quarters  to 
talk  about  the  different  arms  of  the  service.  Just 
then  he  was  ambitious  to  become  paymaster  with 
the  rank  of  major. 

I  remember,  too,  Captain  Stevenson  of  the  Fifth 


82  MY   LIFE   AND   PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Infantry,  a  man  always  very  attentive  to  the  inter 
ests  of  his  company,  working  out  his  discipline 
through  the  boasted  efficiency  of  his  first  sergeant. 
The  real  governor  of  a  company  in  those  days  was 
the  orderly  sergeant.  Matters  came  by  appeal 
from  him  to  the  captain,  and  the  captain  usually 
sustained  the  rough  discipline  of  his  sergeant. 
Captain  Dolph  de  Russy  of  the  Fourth  Artillery 
commanded  a  company  of  that  arm,  that  is,  nomi 
nally  artillery,  but  really  what  the  soldiers  then 
called  "  Red-legged  Infantry." 

Quite  early  in  the  morning,  the  day  after  I  had 
reported,  I  was  notified  that  General  Harney  was 
going  up  to  Tampa  Bay,  and  that,  with  other  of 
ficers  designated,  I  was  to  accompany  him.  I  have 
a  very  distinct  recollection  of  the  party  after  it 
assembled  on  board  a  large  rowboat  at  the  river 
wharf.  Harney  sat  in  the  stern  and  proposed  to 
steer  the  boat.  By  his  side  on  the  left  was  Dr.  Mc- 
Farland,  an  army  surgeon,  already  nearly  old 
enough  for  retirement,  and  a  great  personal  friend 
of  the  general.  To  his  right,  at  arm's  length  from 
him,  sat  Captain  Pleasanton,  who  had  a  very  hand 
some  face,  but  was  demure  and  reserved;  he  sel 
dom  spoke  to  anybody,  having  at  the  time  an  un 
happy  look  upon  his  face  as  if  he  were  discontented 
with  his  situation.  I  was  shown  a  seat  opposite 
Pleasanton.  Two  clerks  went  along  to  take  care 
of  all  papers  and  accounts  at  headquarters.  They, 
with  the  oarsmen,  completed  the  little  company. 

There  were  three  oarsmen  on  a  side.  The  boat 
had  a  mast  and  rigging  for  a  sail  to  be  used  should 
the  weather  favor  us.  When  we  were  readv  to 


AMONG   OUK    HOSTILE   INDIANS  83 

start  the  soldiers  acting  as  sailors  fixed  their  oars 
in  the  locks  and  began  to  row.  The  boat  shot  out 
from  the  dock  and  was  moving  smoothly  down  the 
river,  when  suddenly  one  of  the  oarsmen  locked  his 
oar  with  another.  Harney  ordered  him  to  be  care 
ful,  but  his  oar  caught  a  second  time  and  a  third, 
causing  the  boat  to  whirl  around  in  spite  of  the 
rudder.  General  Harney  then  became  white  with 
anger,  stood  up,  seized  a  boat-hook  near  at  hand, 
and  struck  at  the  soldier.  The  man  avoided  the 
blow  and  sought  protection  behind  the  mast.  He 
put  his  face  round  one  side  of  the  mast  and  jeered 
at  the  general,  saying:  "Oh,  no,  you  wouldn't! 
No,  you  wouldn't!  "  laughing  wildly  as  he  did  so. 

All  except  Harney  saw  at  once  that  the  soldier 
was  delirious  and  did  not  realize  what  he  was 
doing.  The  general's  anger  waxed  hotter  and 
hotter  as  he  tried  in  vain  to  strike  the  delinquent 
oarsman.  At  last  the  doctor  seized  his  hand  and 
begged  him  to  sit  down,  telling  him  that  the  soldier 
was  insane.  Instantly  the  general's  anger  turned 
upon  the  quartermaster.  It  was  fortunate  for 
Hancock  that  he  was  not  present.  ' '  A  fine  quarter 
master!  "  exclaimed  Harney  with  some  harder  ex 
pressions,  "  to  send  me  such  a  boatman! '' 

Another  oarsman  was  substituted  for  the  crazy 
soldier  and  the  boat  moved  with  speed  quietly  down 
the  river.  As  General  Harney 's  face  recovered  its 
usual  expression,  he  said:  "  I  wouldn't  hurt  the 
lad ;  the  crazy  fellow  probably  thought  I  wanted  to 
kill  him."  Very  soon  after  that,  as  we  were  glid 
ing  along  with  forests  on  the  right  and  on  the  lef t, 
we  saw  an  opening  like  a  glade  near  the  right  bank 


84  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

of  the  river.  "  It  was  in  that  neighborhood,"  said 
Harney, '  *  that  I  got  caught  by  those  harum-scarum 
Indians  and  had  to  escape  in  my  night  clothes." 
The  whole  story,  well  told  by  Harney,  interested 
me  deeply.  The  facts  are  given  substantially  in 
an  official  report  by  Lieutenant  Griffin  as  follows : 

"  It  becomes  my  painful  duty  to  inform  you  of 
the  assassination  of  the  greater  part  of  Lieuten 
ant-Colonel  Harney 's  detachment  by  the  Indians 
on  the  morning  of  the  23d  (about  1840),  on  the 
Caloosahatchee  River,  where  they  had  gone  in  ac 
cordance  with  the  treaty  at  Fort  King  to  establish 
a  trading-house.  The  party  consisted  of  about 
twenty-eight  men  armed  with  rifles ;  they  were  en 
camped  on  the  river,  but  unprotected  by  defense 
of  any  kind,  and,  it  is  said,  without  sentinels.  The 
Indians  in  large  force  made  the  attack  before  the 
dawn  of  day  and  before  reveille,  and  it  is  supposed 
that  thirteen  of  the  men  were  killed,  among  whom 
were  Major  Dalham  and  Mr.  Morgan,  sutlers. 
The  remainder,  with  Colonel  Harney,  escaped, 
several  of  them  severely  wounded.  It  was  a  com 
plete  surprise." 

In  this  encounter  the  Indians  killed  ten  men 
belonging  to  the  military  service,  and  eight  more 
citizens  employed  by  the  sutlers.  Colonel  Harney 
and  fourteen  others  succeeded  in  making  their, 
escape,  though  the  colonel,  as  he  said,  made  off  in 
his  night  clothing  without  waiting  for  coat  or 
trousers. 

In  that  encounter  the  Indians  obtained  four 
teen  rifles,  six  carbines,  some  three  or  four  kegs  of 
powder,  and  about  three  thousand  dollars'  worth 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  85 

of  goods.  Lieutenant  Hanson,  commanding  at  the 
time,  on  receipt  of  the  order  quickly  captured  some 
thirty  Indians  while  visiting  his  camp,  and  sent 
them  immediately  to  Charleston,  South  Carolina. 
From  Charleston  they  were  carried  off  to  the  far 
West  to  join  the  other  Seminoles  and  Creeks  upon 
their  reservation  beyond  the  Mississippi. 

This  incident  occurred  in  a  previous  Indian 
war  when  Osceola  was  in  his  prime.  Harney  was 
then  only  a  lieutenant-colonel.  He  had,  since  the 
Mexican  War,  become  a  brigadier-general  and  a 
department  commander.  He  owned  in  his  story 
that  the  Indians  had  surprised  him,  but  stoutly 
averred  that  they  never  did  it  again  and  never 
could. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

CAMPAIGNING    AGAINST    THE    SEMINOLES— INCIDENTS    AND 
EXPERIENCES  OF  MY  ARMY  LIFE  IN  FLORIDA. 

Breakfasting  with  General  Harney  — "  Mr.  Howard,  you  will  be  my 
Chief  of  Ordnance  "  —  Becoming  Accustomed  to  my  Surroundings 
—  A  Pleasant  Resort  —  Mustering  Volunteers  into  Service  —  Gen 
eral  Harney  Relieved  from  Command  —  "We  Haven't  Lost  any 
Indians"  —  Dislike  of  the  Regulars  for  Indian  Service  —  Chasing 
Indians  from  Place  to  Place  —  Seeking  Peace  —  Ordered  to  Find 
"  Billy  Bowlegs  "  —  A  Journey  into  the  Interior  —  New  and  Fresh 
Experiences  —  A  Nap  Better  than  a  Toddy  —  Great  Stature  of 
the  Seminoles  —  Their  Physical  Superiority  over  other  Indians  — 
Seminole  Women  —  Making  a  "  Good  Peace." 

LATE  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day  we 
found  the  steamer  Fashion  at  anchor  near 
the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  we  wrere  soon  on 
board  and  made  comfortable  for  the  night.  Dur 
ing  the  evening  not  much  wras  said  concerning  the 
military  situation,  or  of  an  official  character.  Har 
ney  and  the  doctor  played  at  draughts  while  the 
remainder  of  the  party  looked  on,  much  interested 
in  the  game.  The  moon  wras  shining  and  the  even 
ing  was  delightful,  for  all  that  night  the  bay  was 
as  smooth  as  a  mill-pond,  and  the  temperature  so 
moderate  that  I  wras  reluctant  to  leave  the  deck  for 
my  berth. 

The  next  morning  General  Harney  had  us  all 
at  breakfast  with  him,  and  told  us  many  stories  of 
the  Florida  Indians,  especially  of  battles  I  have 
alluded  to,  besides  those  he  knew  of,  fought  by 
Worth  and  Taylor.  He  informed  me  that  for  the 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  87 

present  campaign  he  was  to  have  some  ten  com 
panies  of  volunteers,  all  mounted.  They  were  to 
come  from  Georgia  and  Alabama  and  from  differ 
ent  parts  of  Florida.  Turning  suddenly  to  me  he 
said :  '  '  Mr.  Howard,  it  is  well  you  are  here.  You 
will  be  my  chief  of  ordnance.  You  must  get  mus 
kets  for  the  volunteers,  their  equipments  and  am 
munition,  and  make  the  issues.  The  regulars 
stationed  all  about  are  already  fairly  well  sup 
plied."  I  assured  the  general  that  I  was  glad  to 
be  of  use  and  would  attend  as  wrell  as  I  could  to  the 
duties  of  my  department. 

As  soon  as  we  had  worked  our  way  up  to  the 
landing  near  Fort  Brooke  all  went  ashore.  Fort 
Brooke  was  then  the  headquarters  of  the  Depart 
ment  of  Florida.  The  buildings,  though  roughly 
constructed,  were  very  presentable.  Live  oaks, 
with  their  widespreading  branches,  covered  much 
of  the  ground,  and  the  officers'  quarters,  stretched 
along  by  the  shore  of  the  bay,  were  nicely  fenced. 
The  buildings,  thoroughly  whitewashed,  were  re 
lieved  by  the  verdure  of  tropical  plants  and  shrub 
bery.  There  were  numerous  shell  walks,  one  of 
which  ran  the  whole  length  of  the  reservation. 

About  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  rest  of  the 
garrison,  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the  reservation, 
was  a  large  frame  building  made  of  rough  boards, 
at  that  time  without  paint  or  whitewash.  It  was 
propped  up  some  six  or  eight  feet  from  the  ground 
on  piles.  This  was  the  arsenal,  and  near  it  was  a 
small  building  for  an  office.  An  ordnance  sergeant, 
who  had  already  seen  considerable  service  on  the 
plains,  was  in  charge,  and  appeared  pleased  enough 


88  MY  LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

to  have  me  assume  command,  and  glad  to  become 
my  factotum.  I  soon  became  accustomed  to  my 
surroundings  and  in  time  made  my  corner  a  pleas 
ant  resort  for  officers  of  the  garrison  and  citizens 
of  the  village. 

The  volunteers  were  soon  mustered  into  service 
and  I  issued  to  them  their  supplies.  It  was  not 
long  before  the  dissatisfaction  which  existed  be 
tween  General  Harney  and  the  Secretary  of  War 
culminated  in  his  being  relieved  from  command 
of  the  department.  He  had  laid  out  his  work  well, 
occupied  forts  on  both  coasts,  and  some  important 
points  like  Fort  Myers  and  Fort  Kissimmee  in  the 
interior,  and  was  preparing  to  give  on  the  one 
hand  a  fair  protection  to  white  settlements,  and  on 
the  other  to  make  aggressive  movements  against 
the  Indians  who  were  raiding  the  country  and 
doing  mischief;  but  for  some  unexplained  reason 
he  was  not  in  favor  in  the  War  Office.  The  senior 
colonel,  L.  L.  Loomis,  of  the  Fifth  Infantry,  was 
placed  in  charge.  It  was  a  delightful  change  to 
me,  as  he  took  much  interest  in  his  young  ordnance 
officer,  and  used  me  in  many  another  capacity  on 
his  personal  staff. 

During  my  year  with  him  I  do  not  recall  an 
important  engagement  between  the  Indians  and 
the  regular  troops.  The  regulars  disliked  the  In 
dian  service,  and  the  officers  would  often  say, ' i  We 
haven't  lost  any  Indians."  But  the  volunteers 
were  very  active.  They  had  good  captains  and 
lieutenants,  but  the  rank  and  file  were  made  up  for 
the  most  part  from  the  roughest  white  population 
of  the  South.  Sometimes  orders  did  not  restrain 


AMONG  OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  89 

them;  they  chased  the  Indians  from  place  to  place 
and  shot  them  down  mercilessly,  men,  women,  and 
children  —  taking  very  few  prisoners. 

At  last  Colonel  Loomis,  much  grieved  at  the 
severity  of  this  active  campaigning,  made  up  his 
mind  to  seek  peace  with  the  Indians  without  wait 
ing  for  them  to  sue  for  it.  So  one  day  in  June  he 
sent  for  me  and  said  he  wanted  me  to  go  as  a 
"  peace  commissioner  "  to  the  Indians  in  the  Ever 
glades,  or  in  any  other  place  where  I  could  find 
them,  and  explain  to  them  how  easy  and  advanta 
geous  it  would  be  for  them  to  submit  to  the  govern 
ment  and  end  the  war.  If  possible,  I  was  to  find 
Chief  Billy  Bowlegs  and  use  all  the  influence  I 
could  with  him  to  induce  him  to  take  his  tribe  and 
join  the  remainder  of  his  people  in  the  West. 

I  undertook  the  mission,  first  going  to  Fort 
Myers  and  getting  the  interpreter,  Natto  Joe,  and 
the  woman  with  her  child,  who  \vas  still  detained 
at  that  post.  This  I  did  as  quickly  as  possible. 
The  woman  in  her  miserable  condition,  poorly  clad, 
wrapped  in  an  army  blanket,  looked  as  if  she  were 
beyond  middle  age,  but  her  little  child,  who  was 
perhaps  five  years  old,  with  a  comfortable  gown 
and  two  or  three  necklaces  of  blue  beads,  had  a 
healthy  look  and  was  really  pretty.  She  would, 
however,  shake  her  hair  over  her  face  and  act  as 
shy  and  wild  as  a  young  bronco.  When  white  men 
were  about  she  generally  clung  to  her  mother's 
skirt,  endeavoring  to  hide  herself  in  its  folds. 

With  some  difficulty  Natto  and  I  took  this  pair 
with  us  to  Fort  Deynaud  far  up  the  Caloosahatchee. 
There  we  found  Captain  Brown  with  two  com- 


90  MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

panics  of  the  Second  Artillery.  Lieutenant  S.  D. 
Lee,  a  classmate  of  mine  at  West  Point,  who  in  the 
Civil  War  became  a  lieutenant-general  in  the  Con 
federate  Army,  was  in  command  of  one  of  the 
companies.  Captain  Brown,  leaving  but  a  small 
guard  behind,  took  with  him  his  two  companies, 
and  wagons  with-  supplies  for  a  ten  days '  trip,  and 
escorted  me  and  my  charge  into  the  interior.  We 
took  the  direction  of  Lake  Okeechobee. 

Lieutenant  Lee  and  I  were  close  friends  and  we 
had  an  enjoyable  expedition.  The  forests  through 
which  we  made  our  way,  often  being  obliged  to 
change  paths  into  passable  roadways,  the  sweet 
open  glades  near  which  we  encamped  for  the  night, 
and  the  easy  marches  of  every  day,  I  have  never 
forgotten.  All  this  experience  was  new  and  fresh  to 
me,  and  everything  in  tropical  nature  filled  me  with 
an  enthusiasm  which  much  amused  my  companion. 
At  any  brief  halt  while  en  route  I  found  a  nap  of 
twenty  or  thirty  minutes  better  than  any  other 
refreshment ;  and  here  was  begun  my  habit  of  tak 
ing  short  sleeps  in  the  midst  of  active  campaigning. 
Lee  once  said :  *  '  Howard  thinks  a  nap  better  than 
a  toddy,"  and  so  indeed  in  time  it  proved  to  be. 

On  arriving  at  Lake  Okeechobee  a  wonderful 
transf  ormation  took  place  in  our  Seminole  woman. 
She  bathed  herself  and  her  child ;  she  managed  to 
repair  her  clothing,  and  combed  the  tangles  out  of 
her  matted  hair.  Digging  some  roots  that  had  a 
saponaceous  juice  she  powdered  them  and  soaked 
them  in  water,  washing  her  hair  with  the  lathery 
substance  till  it  was  smooth  and  glossy.  She  found 
different  ways  to  beautify  her  child,  and,  indeed, 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  91 

one  would  not  take  the  mother,  after  her  toilet  had 
been  completed,  to  be  more  than  twenty-five.  From 
a  haggard  old  squaw  she  had  been  transformed 
into  a  good-looking  young  Indian  woman.  She 
promised  us  so  faithfully  that  she  would  bring  us 
into  communication  with  her  people  that  with  some 
reluctance  I  gave  her  instructions  and  let  her  go. 

Natto  was  afraid  to  accompany  her.  He  had 
been  too  long  and  too  evidently  a  friend  of  the 
white  man.  He  said:  "  He,  Indian  kill  me.  I  no 
go!r  I  hoped  almost  against  hope  that  Mattie, 
as  we  called  the  Indian  woman,  would  prove  true 
and  bring  about  a  meeting  with  the  nearest  tribe, 
but  I  was  to  be  disappointed.  I  could  not  get  an 
interview  with  any  chief.  My  mission  was,  to  all 
appearances,  a  failure.  Still,  it  is  probable  that 
the  news  the  woman  carried  brought  about  before 
many  months  the  peace  which  was  secured  by 
Colonel  Loomis  and  his  men  soon  after  I  left  his 
department  —  a  peace  which  has  lasted  without 
interruption  from  that  time  until  today. 

On  our  return,  not  far  from  Lake  Okeechobee, 
while  we  were  crossing  a  long  stretch  of  meadow 
land  which  the  daily  showers  had  refreshed  and 
brightened,  I  witnessed  for  the  first  time  a  wonder 
ful  mirage.  Lee  and  I  were  riding  some  distance 
from  the  command.  Suddenly  we  saw  what  ap 
peared  to  be  the  whole  command  —  soldiers,  am 
bulances,  and  army  wagons,  lifted  high  in  air  and 
moving  along  with  regularity  amid  the  clouds  in 
the  sky.  Such  a  mirage  was  more  familiar  to 
officers  and  soldiers  who  had  served  on  the  plains, 
but  it  was  a  startling  sight  to  my  vision.  It  was  a 


92  MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

complete  illusion.  My  companion  and  I  rode  on 
toward  the  point  where  we  supposed  Captain 
Brown  and  his  men  were  marching  and  had  appar 
ently  come  quite  near  them  before  the  vision  dis 
appeared. 

My  impressions  of  the  characteristics  of  the 
Seminoles  are  that  they  differ  in  many  respects 
from  all  other  Indian  tribes  with  which  I  am  ac 
quainted.  Generally  the  men  averaged  from  five 
feet  ten  to  six  feet  in  height.  Even  Natto  Joe,  a 
half-breed,  was  five  feet  and  eleven  in  his  stock 
ings.  The  Indians  of  one  of  the  bands,  called  by 
some  writers  "  the  Tiger  clan,'7  were  larger  than 
any  other,  and  were,  as  a  rule,  very  dark.  They 
had  small  hands  and  feet,  but  were  nevertheless 
strong  and  muscular  in  their  limbs.  Their  fore 
heads  were  as  broad  and  high  as  those  of  the  white 
men,  and  their  heads  generally  as  large.  I  never 
saw  a  Seminole  who  had  eyes  so  full  and  open  as 
the  Sioux  or  Apaches;  they  were  intensely  black, 
and,  like  windows  under  a  cornice,  had  their  own 
peculiar  appearance  and  outlook.  Their  teeth 
were  very  even,  faces  square-cut,  and  their  other 
features  hardly  differed  from  the  European  type. 

In  common  with  all  Indians  the  Seminoles  pos 
sessed  great  physical  endurance,  which  was  never 
wanting,  except  in  infancy  and  extreme  age.  Clay 
MacCauley  gives  an  instance  of  this.  He  says: 
"  Even  among  the  children  this  physical  superior 
ity  is  seen.  One  morning  Ko-i-hat-co's  son,  a  tall, 
slender  boy  not  quite  twelve  years  old,  shouldered 
a  heavy  Kentucky  rifle,  left  our  camp  and  followed 
in  his  father's  long  footsteps  for  a  day's  hunt. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  93 

After  tramping  all  day,  at  sunset  he  reappeared 
in  camp,  carrying  slung  across  his  shoulder,  in 
addition  to  rifle  and  accoutrements,  a  deer  weigh 
ing  perhaps  fifty  pounds,  a  weight  he  had  borne 
for  miles.  The  same  boy  in  one  day  went  with  some 
older  friends  to  his  permanent  home  twenty  miles 
away  and  returned." 

The  Seminole  women  that  I  met  were,  as  a  rule, 
taller  than  the  Apache  women,  but  seemed  com 
paratively  short  on  account  of  the  prevailing 
height  of  the  men.  I  do  not  know  that  any  Indian 
women  were  finer-looking  or  more  shapely  in  their 
figures  than  these  unless  it  were  the  Nez  Perces. 
By  strangers,  especially  white  men,  these  women, 
with  their  wild  and  fierce  look,  were  often  thought 
repulsive;  but  all  the  repulsiveness  disappeared 
when  they  met  those  who  neither  feared  nor  hated 
them. 

Usually *the  Seminole  warrior  managed  to  have 
on  something  approximating  the  dress  of  his 
tribe,  —  leggings  of  flannel,  a  single  shirt,  the  usual 
breech-clout,  and  a  peculiar  headgear  like  a  low- 
crowned  hat,  indeed,  a  turban  three  or  four  inches 
wide  made  by  winding  a  comforter  or  thin  shawl 
several  times  around  the  head.  The  first  time  I 
saw  Natto  Joe,  the  half-breed,  I  noticed  that  he 
had  one  or  two  red  handkerchiefs  so  tied  about  his 
neck  as  to  make  a  hammock-shaped  pocket.  Every 
male  Indian  had  one  or  more  of  these  handker 
chiefs,  and  sometimes  several,  always  in  gay  colors. 
They  were  intended  as  choice  ornaments  of  dis 
tinction,  and  were  used  by  them  for  pockets.  Of 
course,  like  every  Indian,  the  Seminole  wore  a  belt 


94  MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

about  his  waist  into  which  he  thrust  his  implements 
for  the  chase  and  war. 

The  men  had  a  strange  style  of  wearing  their 
hair.    A  strip  extended  over  the  head  and  ended  in 
a  braid  or  two  behind  the  neck,  and  another  narrow 
border  of  hair  was  left  just  above  the  forehead  - 
all  the  rest  being  cut  close. 

There  was  nothing  very  remarkable  in  the 
women's  attire.  They  always  had  one  long  skirt 
fastened  around  the  waist,  and  an  upper  garment 
to  meet  it,  covering  the  breast  and  shoulders.  The 
material  was  light  and  cheap,  usually  of  manta 
(bleached  or  unbleached  cotton).  The  wearing  of 
beads  —  many  strings  of  them  —  gave  distinction. 
They  wore  no  shoes  or  moccasins.  The  smaller 
children  had  no  clothing;  and,  like  Mattie's  child, 
the  larger  ones  would  have  a  single  garment  like  a 
shirt  cut  low  in  the  neck. 

At  my  rough  arsenal  I  soon  had  all  the  arms, 
equipments,  and  ammunition  necessary  for  the 
troops,  both  volunteers  and  regulars.  Major  Page, 
the  permanent  adjutant-general  of  the  depart 
ment,  came  and  mustered  in  man  by  man,  with  his 
horse,  saddle,  bridle,  and  blanket,  and  I  issued  the 
remainder  of  his  outfit  for  field  service,  holding 
each  volunteer  captain  responsible  for  his  com 
pany.  Colonel  Loomis  kept  his  command  con 
stantly  in  motion,  and,  as  far  as  he  could,  had  his 
men  capture  rather  than  kill  the  Indians,  for 
whom  he  had  great  pity.  The  prisoners  were 
placed  in  camps  and  guarded. 

I  have  always  considered  the  Seminoles  intel 
lectually  superior  to  most  Indians,  and  I  under- 


AMONG   OUK   HOSTILE   INDIANS  95 

stand  that  in  the  Indian  Territory,  they  proved 
capable  of  attaining  to  a  high  order  of  civilization. 
After  my  return  to  West  Point  in  the  fall  of 
1857  I  learned  with  much  satisfaction  that  Colonel 
Loomis  had  succeeded  in  bringing  in  Chief  Billy 
Bowlegs  to  Fort  Meyers,  had  also  made  a  "  good 
peace,"  and  that  all  but  a  small  fragment  of  the 
Seminole  tribe  had  been  sent  to  their  friends  west 
of  the  Mississippi. 


CHAPTER  V. 

SKETCH  OF  MY  MILITARY  CAREER  DURING  THE  CIVIL  WAR 

-ATTITUDE  OF  OUR  WILD  INDIANS  DURING 

THAT  PERIOD. 

On  Duty  at  West  Point  as  Instructor  in  Mathematics  —  A  Congenial 
Position  —  Thoughts  of  Entering  the  Gospel  Ministry  —  Fall  of 
Fort  Sumter  —  Opening  of  the  Civil  War  —  Solving  Some  Personal 
Problems  —  I  Become  Colonel  of  a  Maine  Regiment  —  Rapid  Pro 
motion  —  Active  Military  Service  —  Restless  and  Troublesome  In 
dians —  Condition  of  Affairs  in  the  Indian  Territory  —  Recruiting 
Indians  for  the  Confederate  Army  —  An  Important  Treaty  —  Effect 
of  the  Civil  War  on  the  Indian  Question. 

AFTER  my  brief  Indian  campaign  in  Florida 
I  was  on  duty  at  the  Military  Academy  as 
instructor  in  mathematics  until  the  spring 
of  1861.  Having  then  a  position  suited  to  my 
taste,  that  of  assistant  professor,  with  the  pay  of  a 
captain  in  the  army,  and  more  comfortable  quar 
ters  than  my  rank  had  previously  enabled  me  to 
enjoy,  every  consideration  of  personal  interest  for 
myself  and  my  growing  family  would  have  induced 
me  to  remain  at  West  Point.  There  was  still 
another  consideration  favoring  my  continuance 
there.  It  wras  an  expectation  on  my  part  soon  to 
leave  the  service  and  enter  the  Gospel  ministry. 
But  just  after  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter  a  dispatch 
was  received  from  Augusta,  Maine,  proposing  to 
me,  if  elected,  to  take  command  of  a  regiment,  — 
the  first  from  the  state,  for  three  years  or  for  the 
war.  Then  immediately  I  faced  and  solved  both 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  97 

problems  and  decided  that  it  was  my  duty  favor 
ably  to  answer  the  call  from  Maine. 

Having  become  the  colonel  of  that  regiment,  I 
commanded  it  and  three  others,  as  a  brigade,  in  the 
first  battle  of  Bull  Run.  Soon  after,  in  September, 
1861,  I  became  a  brigadier-general  of  volunteers, 
and,  with  the  exception  of  two  months  and  twenty- 
two  days  absence  occasioned  by  my  wounds,  com 
manded  a  brigade  under  General  Sumner  in  all 
McClellan's  operations  until  the  battle  of  An- 
tietam.  There  on  the  field  I  took  General  Sedg- 
wick's  place  after  he  was  wounded,  and  held  his 
division  through  the  subsequent  battles  till  the  end 
of  the  year  1862. 

In  April,  1863,  the  President  assigned  me,  now 
a  major-general  of  volunteers,  to  command  the 
Eleventh  Army  Corps.  This  command  I  held 
through  the  battles  of  Chancellorsville  and  Gettys 
burg,  and  then,  transferred  to  the  West,  in  Look 
out  Valley,  Lookout  Mountain,  Missionary  Ridge, 
and  the  march  to  Knoxville.  My  first  experiences 
in  the  West  were  under  General  U.  S.  Grant,  who 
then  conducted  all  the  affairs  of  a  large  military 
division.  When  General  Grant  was  ordered  to 
Washington,  in  the  spring  of  1864,  General  Sher 
man  took  his  place  in  the  military  division,  and  I 
was  sent  to  Loudon,  east  Tennessee,  to  take  com 
mand  of  the  Fourth  Army  Corps,  then  a  part  of 
the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  under  General 
George  H.  Thomas.  This  corps  was  at  that  time 
twenty  thousand  strong.  This  command  was  mine 
during  General  Sherman's  campaign  from  Chat 
tanooga  to  Atlanta ;  a  campaign  which  comprised, 


98  MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

while  I  was  with  the  Fourth  Corps,  thirteen  bat 
tles,  ending  with  what  has  recently  been  named 
"  The  Battle  of  Atlanta,"  in  which,  on  the  22d  of 
July,  1864,  the  young  and  well-beloved  McPherson 
was  slain. 

On  the  26th  of  that  month  President  Lincoln 
assigned  me  to  McPherson 's  place  to  command 
the  Army  and  Department  of  the  Tennessee.  I 
had  a  portion  of  it,  the  Fifteenth,  Sixteenth,  and 
Seventeenth  Corps,  in  round  numbers  about  thirty- 
three  thousand,  on  the  active  line  from  that  clay 
forward.  It  constituted  General  Sherman's  right 
wing  in  the  March  to  the  Sea  and  through  the 
Carolinas,  ending  with  the  battle  of  Bentonville, 
North  Carolina,  March  19  and  20, 1865. 

We  made  a  rapid  march,  averaging  about 
twenty-five  miles  a  day,  from  Raleigh  to  Rich 
mond,  Virginia,  —  a  march  that  was  begun  just 
after  the  announcement  of  the  assassination  of 
Abraham  Lincoln.  On  arriving  at  Richmond  I 
received  a  dispatch  from  General  Grant,  then  in 
Washington,  instructing  me  to  let  my  army  march 
overland  in  charge  of  my  staff  officers,  while  I  should 
come  by  water  as  qiiickly  as  possible  and  report  in 
person  to  the  Secretary  of  War.  This  I  did;  and 
on  the  12th  of  May  I  was  assigned  to  the  new  duty 
of  Commissioner  of  Freedmen  and  Refugees,  —  a 
new  bureau  in  the  War  Department. 

This  brief  sketch  is  a  skeleton  of  my  military 
career  during  the  four  years  of  the  Civil  War,  and 
indicates  why  I  was  not  more  directly  cognizant  of 
Indian  affairs  during  that  stirring  period. 
\      The  Indians,  however,  all  this  time  were  very 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  99 

restless  and  made  constant  trouble,  and  several 
officers  left  my  side  to  participate  in  operations 
necessary  to  hold  them  in  check.  Some  of  the  In 
dians  were  on  reservations  and  some  were  not,  and 
they  represented  every  phase  of  civilization. 
"  Some  in  naked  savage  bands,  adorned  with  paint 
and  feathers,  armed  with  the  tomahawk  and  scalp 
ing  knife,  roamed  the  wilderness.  Others,  differ 
ing  from  the  planter  or  farmer  only  in  their 
complexion,  possessed  cultivated  lands,  flocks,  and 
herds." 

The  Seminoles,  Cherokees,  Chickasaws,  and 
Choctaws  dwelt  in  what  was  called  the  Indian 
Territory  proper,  a  country  west  of  Arkansas  and 
north  of  Texas.  At  the  opening  of  the  Civil  War 
it  was,  as  a  rule,  under  the  supervision  of  officials 
who  sympathized  with  secession.  This  was  un 
fortunate  for  the  United  States  government,  for 
with  little  inducement  these  officials  and  agents 
broke  up  connection  with  the  United  States  and 
offered  allegiance  to  the  southern  Confederacy. 
Of  course,  when  Mr.  Lincoln  came  in,  the  superin 
tendent  and  agents  who  had  not  kept  faith  with  us 
were  removed  from  office  and  other  men  were  put 
in  their  places,  but  the  new  appointees  were  unable 
to  reach  their  posts  of  duty,  so  that  great  confusion 
prevailed. 

To  aggravate  matters  still  further,  the  old  In-1 
dian  superintendent  and  many  of  the  agents,  join-  \ 
ing  interests  with  the  southern  army,  stirred  up  the 
Indians  till  they  began  to  commit  acts  of  hostility.. 
These  men  justified  themselves  by  claiming  that 
they  were  acting  under  authority  of  the  govern- 


100  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

merit  of  the  Confederate  States.  About  this  time 
a  treaty  with  the  Choctaws  was  ratified  by  the  Con 
federate  Congress,  under  which  delegates  from 
that  nation  had  the  right  to  sit  in  Congress.  Two 
full  regiments  of  Indians  were  organized  and  at 
tached  to  the  Confederate  army,  and  a  third  was 
made  ready  during  the  first  year  of  the  war.  This 
constituted  an  Indian  Confederate  brigade. 

It  is  only  just  to  the  Indians  to  say  that  they 
could  not  hear  from  President  Lincoln's  adminis 
tration.  They  witnessed  the  surrender  of  United 
States  army  posts  in  their  neighborhood  and  the 
departure  of  government  troops,  and  were  uncer 
tain  as  to  what  their  allegiance  ought  to  be  under 
I  these  new  and  trying  circumstances.  The  cele 
brated  John  Ross,  chief  of  the  Cherokees,  resisted 
the  hostile  action  of  his  people  as  long  as  he  could 
and  issued  a  proclamation.  The  instrument  ended 
thus: 

"  For  these  reasons  I  earnestly  urge  on  the 
Cherokee  people  the  importance  of  non-interfer 
ence  with  the  people  of  the  states,  and  the  observ 
ance  of  unswerving  neutrality  between  them; 
trusting  that  God  will  not  only  keep  from  our  own 
borders  the  desolation  of  war,  but  that  He  will  in 
His  infinite  mercy  and  honor  stay  its  ravages 
among  the  brotherhood  of  states." 

Ross  was  overborne.  It  is  said  that  his  wife 
was  more  staunch  than  her  husband  and  held  out 
till  the  last.  When  an  attempt  was  made  to  raise  a 
Confederate  flag  over  the  Indian  council  house  her 
opposition  was  so  spirited  that  it  prevented  the 
completion  of  the  design.  However,  the  Indians 


AMONG   OUK   HOSTILE   INDIANS  101 

that  I  have  mentioned  fell  into  line  and  gave  their 
sympathy  and  positive  help  to  the  cause  of  the 
Confederacy. 

When  the  war  was  over  the  Choctaws  and  other 
tribes  within  the  Indian  Territory,  wiio  had  gone 
against  the  United  States,  made  special  effort  to 
regain  their  position.  Having  been  forced  from 
their  homes  and  their  lands  by  the  operation  of 
war,  or  by  the  action  of  government  agents,  they 
now  desired  to  return.  They  had  taken  up  arms 
and  thereby  forfeited  all  rights  and  privileges 
which  had  been  theirs  under  their  treaties  before 
the  war ;  but  the  administration  decided  to  act  with 
clemency  toward  them,  feeling  confident  that  this 
clemency  would  not  be  misunderstood  but  would 
result  in  future  good  conduct  on  the  part  of  the 
Indians. 

During  President  Johnson's  administration  an 
important  commission  was  appointed,  upon  which 
was  the  Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs,  the  super 
intendent  of  Indians  for  the  southwest,  General 
Ely  Parker,  a  full-blooded  Indian  who  had  served 
on  General  Grant 's  staff.  With  him  were  Generals 
Herron  and  Harney  of  the  United  States  Army. 
They  met  at  Forth  Smith,  Arkansas,  in  September, 
1865,  and  made  a  treaty  with  the  Cherokees,  Creeks, 
Choctaws,  Chickasaws,  Osages,  Seminoles,  Senecas, 
Shawnees,  and  Quapaws.  Some  extracts  from  this 
treaty  are  of  special  interest  to  the  lovers  of  our 
Union.  For  example : 

"  Whereas  the  aforesaid  nations  and  tribes,  or  bands  of  , 
Indians,  or  portions  thereof,  were  induced  by  the  machina-  , 
tions  of  the  emissaries  of  the  so-called  Confederate  States  to  I 


102  MY  LITE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

throw  off  their  allegiance  to  the  Government  of  the  United 
States  and  to  enter  into  treaty  stipulations  with  said  so- 
called  Confederate  States,  whereby  they  had  made  themselves 
liable  to  a  forfeiture  of  all  rights  of  every  kind,  character, 
and  description  which  had  been  promised  and  guaranteed  to 
them  by  the  United  States ;  and  whereas,  the  Government  of 
the  United  States  has  maintained  its  supremacy  and  author 
ity  within  its  limits ;  and  whereas,  it  is  the  desire  of  the  Gov 
ernment  to  act  with  magnanimity  with  all  parties,  deserving 
its  clemency,  and  to  re-establish  order  and  legitimate  author 
ity  among  the  Indian  tribes;  and  whereas,  the  undersigned 
representatives  or  parties  connected  with  said  nations  and 
tribes  of  Indians  have  become  satisfied  that  it  is  for  the  gen 
eral  good  of  the  people  to  reunite  with  and  be  restored  to  the 
relations  which  formerly  existed ;  .  .  .  The  Undersigned 
do  hereby  acknowledge  themselves  to  be  under  the  protection 
of  the  United  States  of  America,  and  covenant  and  agree  that 
hereafter  they  will  in  all  things  recognize  the  Government  of 
the  United  States  as  exercising  exclusive  jurisdiction  over 
them,  and  will  not  enter  into  any  allegiance  or  conventional 
agreement  with  any  State,  Nation,  power  or  sovereignty 
whatsoever ;  and  that  any  treaty  or  allegiance  for  the  cession 
of  lands,  or  any  act  heretofore  done  by  them  or  any  of  their 
people,  by  which  they  renounced  their  allegiance  to  the 
United  States,  is  hereby  revoked  and  repudiated." 

The  government  promised  to  afford  ample  pro 
tection  to  all  persons  and  property  of  the  nations 
and  tribes  within  the  Indian  Territory.  It  also 
declared  its  willingness  to  enter  into  treaties  to 
arrange  and  settle  all  vexatious  questions  that 
misrht  arise  in  consequence  of  their  part  in  the  re 
bellion. 

Besides  this  treaty  another  was  signed  by  the 
commissioners  and  the  Choctaws  and  Chickasaws, 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  103 

which  provided  for  something  more  than  peace 
and  friendship.  The  Indians  promised  therein  to 
exert  all  their  influence  to  compel  the  Indians  of 
the  Plains  to  maintain  peaceful  relations  with 
each  other,  with  the  Indians  of  the  Territory,  and 
with  the  United  States.  They  agreed  further  that 
slavery  should  be  abolished  forever,  that  the  f reed- 
men  should  be  suitably  provided  for,  that  lands 
should  be  issued  to  the  Indians  of  Kansas  and 
elsewhere,  that  the  right  of  way  should  be  granted 
to  railroads,  and  that  a  consolidation  of  Indian 
tribes  with  a  territorial  form  of  government  should 
be  recommended  by  them  to  their  respective 
councils. 

In  view  of  this  treaty,  which  has  been  more  or 
less  faithfully  kept,  it  would  seem  that  the  Civil 
War  resulted  in  the  United  States  gaining  a  better 
control  over  the  Indians,  and  the  Territorial  tribes 
were  saved  from  outside  annoyance  by  the  Indians 
of  the  Plains. 

In  1862  it  will  be  remembered  General  Pope 
came  to  the  East,  and  for  a  while  commanded  an 
independent  force  sent  out  directly  from  the  Dis 
trict  of  Columbia  and  vicinity  to  meet  and  hold  in 
check  General  Lee's  Confederate  army  while  Mc- 
Clellan  changed  his  base  from  the  James  River  to 
Washington,  bringing  up  from  the  peninsula  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  as  a  support  to  Pope's 
forces.  Pope's  last  engagement  was  the  second 
battle  of  Bull  Run,  which  ended  in  his  defeat. 

After  an  enforced  vacation  on  account  of  my 
wounds  my  first  active  engagement  was  near  the 
close  of  this  battle.  I  was  in  command  of  a  brigade, 


104  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

and  was  required  to  make  a  reconnaissance  from 
Centreville  to  ascertain  if  Lee's  forces  were  still 
present,  or  if  they  had  withdrawn  from  our  front. 
The  night  after  this  movement  we  began  a  re 
treat  in  different  columns.  General  Sully,  with 
myself,  commanded  the  rear  guard  of  one  of  those 
columns,  and  we  had  a  bloody  experience.  I  found 
Sully  in  action  an  admirable  commander;  cool, 
clear-headed,  and  full  of  expedients.  This  retreat 
had  hardly  been  completed  when  General  Pope 
and,  somewhat  later,  General  Sully  also,  was  hur 
ried  off  to  the  Northwest  to  meet  and  withstand  a 
fearful  onslaught  of  Indians,  which  was  reported 
to  have  taken  place  on  the  western  borders  of 
Minnesota. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

GREAT  UPRISING  OF  HOSTILE  INDIANS  IN  THE  NORTHWEST 
-THE  TERRIBLE   SIOUX  MASSACRE  IN  MINNESOTA. 

Trouble  with  the  Indians  on  the  Border  —  Uneasy  Savages  of  the  North 
west  —  Threatened  Outbreak  of  the  Sioux  —  Red  Iron's  Eloquent 
Speech  —  The  Great  Uprising  —  The  Crafty  and  Notorious  Chief 
Little  Crow  —  A  Reign  of  Terror,  Murder,  Rapine,  and  Pillage  — 
Indiscriminate  Slaughter  of  White  Men,  Women,  and  Children  — 
Settlers  Banding  Together  for  Defense  —  A  Resolute  White  Leader 
—  A  Fearful  Onslaught  —  Bloody  Campaign  Against  the  Sioux  — 
Defeat  of  Little  Crow  —  Trial  of  Five  Hundred  Hostile  Indians  — 
Execution  of  Thirty-eight  of  them  upon  One  Scaffold  —  Where  and 
How  They  Were  Buried  —  Death  of  Little  Crow  —  Indians  as 
Soldiers  in  the  Union  Army. 

THE  great  uprising  of  the  Sioux  in  1862  is 
now  almost  forgotten,  and  this  is  doubtless 
due  to  the  fact  that  it  occurred  at  a  time 
when  the  North  and  South  were  engaged  in  deadly 
strife.  The  trouble  with  the  Indians  on  the  border, 
particularly  in  Minnesota,  culminated  about  the 
time  of  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run,  in  August, 
1862.  About  this  time  several  large  tracts  of  land 
were  purchased  from  the  Indians.  The  agents 
and  traders  took  advantage  of  this,  and  large 
quantities  of  goods  were  sold  at  enormous  prices 
to  the  irritated  Indians,  who  speedily  showed  their  i 
dissatisfaction.  Councils  were  held,  at  one  of 
which  Red  Iron,  an  influential  old  chief,  said : 

Council,  we  will  receive  our  next  annuity, 


*  u 


*  From  the  New  York  Sun,  March  17,  1901,  and  copied  by  it  from 
the  Chicago  Record. 


106  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

but  we  will  sign  no  papers  for  anything  else.  The 
snow  is  on  the  ground,  and  we  have  been  waiting  a 
long  time  to  get  our  money.  We  are  poor;  white 
Father  has  plenty.  His  fires  are  warm ;  his  tepees 
keep  out  the  cold.  We  have  nothing  to  eat.  We 
have  been  waiting  a  long  time  for  our  money. 
Our  hunting  season  is  past.  A  great  many  of  our 
people  are  sick  for  being  hungry.  We  may  die 
because  you  will  not  pay  us;  we  may  die,  but 
if  we  do  we  will  leave  our  bones  on  the  ground 
where  our  great  Father  may  see  where  his  Dakota 
children  died.  We  are  very  poor.  We  have  sold 
our  hunting  grounds  and  the  graves  of  our  fathers. 
We  have  sold  our  own  graves.  We  have  no  place 
to  bury  our  dead,  and  you  will  not  pay  us  the 
money  for  our  lands.'7 

For  making  this  eloquent  and  pathetic  speech 
Eed  Iron  was  locked  up  in  the  guardhouse  for 
twenty-four  hours.  The  Indians,  led  by  Lion  Bear, 
departed  sullenly  from  the  council.  Lion  Bear 
was  a  large,  sinewy,  resolute  man  and  of  great 
influence  with  his  people.  When  Red  Iron  was 
imprisoned  Lion  Bear  made  the  following  speech : 

' '  Dakotas,  the  big  men  are  here ;  they  have  got 
Red  Iron  in  a  pen  like  a  wolf.  They  mean  to  kill 
him  for  saying  the  big  men  cheat  us  out  of  our 
lands  and  the  money  the  great  Father  has  sent  us. 
Dakotas,  must  we  starve  like  buffaloes  in  the  snow  ? 
Shall  we  let  our  blood  freeze  like  the  little  stream  ? 
Or  shall  we  make  the  snow  red  with  the  blood  of 
the  white  braves?  Dakotas,  the  blood  of  your 
fathers  talks  to  you  from  the  graves  where  we 
stand.  Their  spirits  come  up  into  your  arms  and 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  109 

make  them  strong.  Tonight  the  blood  of  the  white 
man  shall  run  like  water  in  the  rain,  and  Red  Iron 
shall  be  with  his  people.  Dakotas,  when  the  moon 
goes  down  behind  the  hills  be  ready,  and  I  will 
lead  you  against  the  long  knives  and  the  big  men 
who  have  come  to  cheat  us  and  take  away  our  lands 
and  put  us  in  a  pen  for  not  helping  to  rob  our 
women  and  children." 

But  Eed  Iron  was  released,  and  the  outbreak 
for  a  time  was  prevented.  The  trouble  with  the 
Indians  continued,  however,  and  their  sufferings 
during  the  winter  and  spring  were  intense.  Some 
1,500  of  the  old  men,  women,  and  children  died  of 
exposure,  and  those  who  survived  were  obliged  to 
eat  their  horses  and  dogs.  The  dissatisfaction  thus 
engendered  was  fearfully  augmented  by  the  fail 
ure  of  the  government  to  make  the  annual  payment 
which  had  before  taken  place  in  June,  and  by  the 
traders  refusing  any  more  credit. 

In  the  South  the  Union  army  had  met  with 
reverses,  and  rumors  of  disastrous  battles  reached 
the  Indians.  Their  faith  in  the  great  Father  was 
shaken.  Exaggerated  stories  were  told  by  the  half- 
breeds  and  others  interested  in  stirring  up  strife. 
The  enlistment  of  all  the  young  men  on  the 
frontier,  of  all  the  government  employees  not  ab 
solutely  necessary,  and  of  half-breeds,  strengthened 
the  Indians'  belief  that  the  great  Father  was  in 
desperate  straits. 

The  head  chief  of  the  band  of  Sioux  located 
there  was  Little  Crow.  He  had  been  in  Washing 
ton,  was  an  Indian  of  unusual  intelligence  and 
highly  skilled  in  the  art  of  savage  warfare. 


110  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

The  outbreak  came  on  August  15,  1862,  when 
four  young  braves  left  Little  Crow's  village,  near 
Redwood,  Minnesota,  to  go  hunting.  They  became 
intoxicated  on  whisky  sold  them  by  a  white  man, 
and  then,  as  drunken  men  do,  they  had  a  dispute 
with  each  other  as  to  which  was  the  bravest.  At 
last  they  determined  to  put  the  matter  beyond 
controversy  by  killing  white  men.  Once  started 
on  their  murderous  errand  they  killed  whole  fam 
ilies  and  plundered  their  homes.  The  excitement 
and  terror  among  the  white  people  was  intense; 
the  Indians  were  pursued  and  fled  back  to  their 
village,  where  they  swarmed  about  Little  Crow's 
tepee. 

Previously  to  this,  Little  Crow,  seeing  how 
much  our  garrisons  had  been  weakened  to  supply 
the  wants  of  the  Civil  War,  had  carefully  planned 
a  hostile  rising  on  the  part  of  his  Indians  with  a 
view  to  pillage  and  the  driving  back  of  new  settle 
ments.  He  was  waiting  for  further  preparation 
and  for  promised  allies  from  other  Sioux  bands, 
but  seeing  the  storm  already  setting  in,  and  expect 
ing  immediate  retaliation  for  the  murders  com 
mitted,  he  determined  to  make  an  immediate  move. 
In  answer  to  his  excited  braves  he  said :  "  Trouble 
with  the  whites  must  come ;  it  is  here.  It  may  as 
well  take  place  now  as  later.  I  am  with  you.  Let 
us  go  to  the  agency,  kill  the  traders  and  take  their 
goods." 

With  a  force  of  about  three  hundred  he  pushed 
on  to  what  was  known  as  the  Yellow  Medicine 
Agency,  situated  in  southwestern  Minnesota  not 
far  from  the  border.  Here  was  begun  at  once  a 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  111 

terrible  slaughter  of  men,  women,  and  children. 
The  agent  himself,  Mr.  Galbraith,  was  away  on  a 
short  leave  of  absence,  but  his  family  perished 
with  the  others  in  the  outbreak. 

As  has  been  done  so  often,  the  commanding 
officer  of  Fort  Ridgely,  the  nearest  garrison,  dis 
patched  an  inadequate  force,  only  forty-five  sol 
diers,  and,  as  one  would  have  expected,  half  of 
them  were  killed.  The  Indians,  excited  more  and 
more  by  their  great  success,  widened  their  sphere 
of  operations,  committed  murders,  killed  unarmed 
and  helpless  citizens  right  and  left,  and  dealt  out 
to  them  the  brutal  treatment  of  savages.  They 
swept  away  the  settlers  on  their  isolated  farms, 
and  robbed  and  outraged  their  women  and  chil 
dren.  The  tales  of  suffering  and  woe  are  too 
bloody  and  sickening  to  be  repeated.  One  writer 
says:  "  They  practiced  every  species  of  atrocity 
which  their  fiendish  natures  prompted." 

They  did  not  reach  the  village  of  New  Ulm  until 
the  21st  of  August.  It  was  the  capital  of  Brown 
County,  settled  principally  by  Germans.  Outside 
of  the  village  they  had  plenty  of  victims,  but  their 
main  attack  upon  New  Ulm  itself  did  not  take 
place  until  the  23d  of  August,  1862.  Judge  Flan- 
drau,  a  resolute  man,  highly  honored  on  the  fron 
tier,  had  organized  and  armed  a  body  of  citizens. 
He  succeeded  in  repulsing  the  attack,  but  the  hos- 
tiles  still  hung  around,  closely  besieging  him  and 
preparing  to  repeat  the  assault,  when  a  detachment 
of  regulars  sent  by  General  Sibley  brought  relief 
to  the  citizen  garrison  and  scattered  the  assailants. 
Some  two  thousand  women  and  children,  who  had 


112  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

escaped  in  great  alarm  from  the  settlements 
round  about,  had  taken  refuge  at  New  Ulm,  so 
that  it  was  a  place  hard  to  defend  for  any  length 
of  time  against  an  increase  of  the  assailants.  Fort 
Ridgely  itself  had  been  hemmed  in  for  many  days 
and  had  hard  work  to  hold  its  own  against  re 
peated  attacks  of  the  Sioux.  General  Sibley  there 
fore  caused  New  Ulm  to  be  abandoned.  The 
women  and  children  were  sent  to  a  place  of  safety, 
and  the  troops,  as  many  as  he  could  spare,  were 
ordered  to  proceed  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Mc- 
Phail  to  reinforce  the  garrison  and  the  fort. 

The  cunning  hostiles,  perceiving  that  General 
Sibley  was  on  their  trail,  instantly  changed  direc 
tion,  going  northward,  killing  and  robbing  as  they 
went.  They,  in  part,  crossed  the  Minnesota  border 
and  began  a  siege  against  Fort  Abercromby  in 
Dakota.  The  3d  of  September  a  hundred  and 
fifty  others  suddenly  showed  themselves  as  far 
north  as  Cedar  City  in  the  center  of  Minnesota, 
and  actually  attacked  the  company  of  volunteers 
there.  So  furious  was  their  onslaught  that  they 
drove  them  back  as  far  as  Hutchinson,  while  an 
other  band  of  hostiles  rushed  upon  Forest  City, 
but  found  the  citizens  armed  and  organized  and 
ready  to  meet  them.  This  attack  was  quickly  met 
and  successfully  resisted.  A  similar  result  oc 
curred  when  the  savages  came  upon  Hutchinson. 
The  citizens,  now  fully  alive  to  their  peril,  drove 
them  back  from  that  village.  The  headquarters 
of  the  department  at  St.  Paul  was  aroused.  The 
able  general,  John  Pope,  assumed  command,  gath 
ered  all  the  troops  of  volunteers  and  regulars 


AMONG  OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  113 

available  in  his  vicinity,  and  sent  them  to  the  vil 
lages  named  and  to  every  point  of  danger. 

The  hostile  Indians  soon  discovered  that  they 
were  met  by  superior  numbers  of  soldiers  who  had 
been  sent  to  take  summary  vengeance  upon  them, 
and  they  began  to  lose  heart.  Their  enthusiasm 
for  war,  outrage,  and  pillage  never  did  last  very 
long.  When  their  enemy  wras  weak  they  were 
strong;  but  when  they  began  to  feel  that  his 
strength  and  ability  for  war  was  far  greater  than 
theirs,  they  ran  to  cover. 

The  hostile  besieging  force  at  Fort  Aber- 
cromby  made  two  severe  attacks.  The  garrison 
repulsed  both,  the  second  with  great  loss  to  the 
Indians.  Now  the  Indians  from  all  directions 
were  fleeing  from  Minnesota  and  soon  crossed  the 
western  border.  When  our  troops  had  once  taken 
up  the  pursuit  they  did  not  stop  for  borders  of 
states  or  for  rivers.  At  Wood  Lake,  however,  the 
22d  of  September,  the  hostile  bands,  now  pretty 
well  concentrated,  with  their  women  and  children, 
the  whole  under  the  command  of  Little  Crow,  were 
forced  to  a  battle  that  they  would  gladly  have 
avoided.  It  was  sharp  and  decisive.  The  women 
and  children  and  some  of  the  men,  with  the 
chief  himself,  fled  for  shelter  to  the  Yankton  Sioux 
of  Dakota.  Five  hundred  Indians  were  taken 
prisoners. 

During  this  outbreak  blood  flowed  freely  on 
the  northwest  frontier,  and  on  every  hand  could 
be  seen  by  day  the  smoke  from  the  settlers '  cabins, 
and  at  night  the  flames  lit  up  the  horizon.  About 
700  persons  were  massacred. 


114  MY  LITE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

It  is  said  that  the  military  authorities  tried  by 
court-martial  five  hundred  Indians  who  had  par 
ticipated  in  this  massacre.  Three  hundred  and 
three  of  them  were  sentenced  to  death.  But  Presi 
dent  Lincoln,  always  lenient  and  hating  the  death 
penalty,  allowed  but  thirty-eight  to  be  executed. 

These  thirty-eight  were  hanged  upon  one  scaf 
fold  at  Mankato,  Minn.,  February  26,  1863.  The 
few  days  preceding  the  execution  were  spent  in 
singing  death  songs  and  parting  with  relatives. 
On  Wednesday  each  of  the  condemned  was  per 
mitted  to  send  for  two  or  three  relatives  or  friends. 
The  Indians  were  fastened  in  pairs  and  chained 
to  the  floor.  Their  ages  ranged  from  16  to  70 
years,  although  the  majority  were  young  men. 
All  but  three  half-breeds  were  dressed  in  breech- 
clout,  leggings,  and  blankets. 

Early  on  Friday  morning  the  irons  were 
knocked  off  the  condemned  and  their  arms  tied 
behind  with  cords  at  the  elbows  and  at  the  wrists. 
At  ten  o'clock  began  the  march  to  the  scaffold. 
As  they  ascended  the  steps  the  death  song  was 
started,  and  when  they  had  got  upon  the  platform 
the  noise  of  their  deep,  swelling  voices  was  truly 
hideous.  The  ropes  were  adjusted  about  their 
necks,  the  white  caps  pulled  down,  and  at  a  signal 
followed  three  slow  but  distinct  taps  on  a  drum. 
The  rope  holding  the  scaffold  was  cut  by  a  man 
named  Duly,  whose  family  had  been  murdered. 

The  lifeless  bodies  were  cut  down,  placed  in 
four  army  wagons,  and  taken  to  a  trench  prepared 
for  their  reception.  They  were  all  deposited  in  one 
grave,  thirty  feet  in  length  by  twelve  in  width,  and 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  115 

four  feet  deep.  They  were  laid  in  the  bottom,  in 
two  rows,  with  their  feet  together  and  their  heads 
to  the  outside.  They  were  simply  covered  with 
blankets  and  the  earth  thrown  over  them.  There 
they  lie  to  this  day. 

The  others  of  the  condemned,  but  not  executed, 
were  taken  down  the  Mississippi  to  an  island  near 
Davenport,  Iowa,  where  they  were  closely  confined 
for  a  year.  They  were  then  taken  to  a  reservation, 
and  it  is  probable  that  not  one  of  them  lives  today. 

As  soon  as  the  excitement  had  died  down  and 
an  investigation  could  be  made,  it  was  ascertained 
that  the  Minnesota  Sioux  engaged  in  this  business 
did  not  exceed  a  thousand.  Many  of  the  Indians 
in  Minnesota  took  no  part  in  the  conflict.  The 
prompt  defeat  of  the  Indians  at  war,  and  the  sub 
sequent  execution  of  thirty-eight  of  them,  had  a 
decided  effect  in  restraining  other  bands  of  Sioux 
who  were  ready  to  help  Little  Crow  clear  out  the 
troublesome  and  ever-increasing  settlements  of 
white  men  in  their  neighborhood.  These  opera 
tions  postponed  further  danger  to  the  citizens  of 
Minnesota  for  another  year. 

In  1863  the  Minnesota  frontier  was  well 
guarded  with  a  force  of  never  less  than  two  thou 
sand.  Little  Crow  was  not  so  badly  beaten  that  he 
did  not  make  some  experiments  to  regain  what  he 
had  lost  the  year  before,  particularly  the  Indian 
hunting-grounds  which  had  been  abandoned  to  the 
returning  settlers.  While  we  were  absorbed  in 
watching  the  advance  of  Lee's  army  into  Maryland 
and  Pennsylvania  and  fighting  the  battle  of  Get 
tysburg,  where  the  heaviest  responsibility  of  my 


116  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

life  came  upon  me,  Little  Crow's  Indians  in  small 
bands  were  creeping  within  our  far-off  lines  and 
succeeded  in  reaching  the  country  about  St.  Paul. 
They  would  murder  a  settler's  family  and  glide 
on,  serpent-like,  to  strike  another.  At  least  thirty 
white  persons  had  been  killed  and  several  friendly 
Indians  massacred. 

This  remarkable  raid  of  the  savages  through 
out  the  State  of  Minnesota  kept  all  the  people  in 
constant  alarm.  One  can  hardly  imagine,  in  time 
of  profound  peace,  the  extraordinary  ferment  and 
general  terror  that  then  existed.  Of  course  our 
military  authorities  were  widely  denounced  in  the 
newspapers  of  the  northwest  for  inefficiency. 
General  Sibley,  however,  knew  what  was  going  on, 
but  could  not  well  divide  his  forces  against  a  hand 
ful  of  guerillas  appearing  here  and  there  all  over 
the  state  in  such  insignificant  numbers.  He  was, 
however,  waiting  his  opportunity  to  strike  an  ef 
fective  blow. 

Little  Crow  had  visited  other  bands  beside  his 
own,  and  had  gone  twice  to  the  British  territory 
to  secure  allies.  He  did  not  have  much  success, 
and  none  beyond  our  borders.  At  last  he  gathered 
near  Miniwakan,  a  salt  lake  five  hundred  miles 
northwest  of  St.  Paul,  a  band  of  about  five  thou 
sand  Indians,  this  number  including  their  women 
and  children.  He  had  the  Minnesota  tribes,  and  a 
thousand  from  the  Yankton  Sioux,  and  others. 
In  June,  General  Sibley  was  already  approaching 
the  lake  with  three  thousand  soldiers.  At  the  same 
time  General  Sully,  who  had  spent  half  his  mili 
tary  life  in  watching  and  fighting  wild  Indians, 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE    INDIANS  117 

was  making  his  way  from  Sioux  City  up  the 
Missouri  River,  with  a  view  to  cut  off  the  retreat 
should  Sibley  drive  Little  Crow  and  his  band 
southward  from  their  selected  fighting  ground  near 
the  lake. 

While  these  expeditions  were  making  their 
fatiguing  marches  and  hoping  for  a  decisive  en 
gagement  Little  Crow  himself,  taking  one  of  his 
sons  with  him,  had  ventured  across  the  lines,  com 
ing  in  almost  as  far  as  Hutchinson.  One  day  he 
was  seen  by  a  settler  by  the  name  of  Lamson,  who 
managed  to  use  the  rifle  in  his  hand  so  quickly 
that  even  the  wily  Indian  could  not  anticipate  the 
shot.  Lamson  knew  that  he  had  killed  an  Indian, 
but  did  not  know  for  some  weeks  that  it  was  the 
crafty  and  ruthless  Little  Crow. 

One  of  Little  Crow's  sons  immediately  suc 
ceeded  him  in  command  of  his  accumulated  band 
of  warriors.  The  young  man  at  first  retreated 
rapidly  before  Sibley,  who  continued  the  pursuit. 
The  24th  of  July,  however,  the  general  came  upon 
the  Indians  in  force.  This  battle  began,  like  many 
others,  with  an  act  of  what  we  denominate  treach 
ery.  An  army  surgeon  approached  the  hostiles  to 
meet  a  flag  of  truce  which  they  had  displayed. 
They  instantly  killed  this  officer  and  a  sharp  battle 
quickly  followed.  The  Indians  soon  ran  and  were 
pursued  for  ten  miles,  experiencing  a  heavy  loss  in 
men  and  stores. 

Again  on  the  26th  of  July,  at  Dead  Buffalo 
Lake,  the  hostiles  made  a  quick  and  unexpected 
effort  to  capture  the  horses  and  mules  of  the  com 
mand,  as  they  afterward  did  with  me  in  the  battle 


118  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

of  Camas  Meadow,  Montana.  Still,  as  Sibley's 
troops  were  ready,  the  Indians  were  successfully 
and  promptly  resisted,  and  many  of  them  were 
slain. 

On  the  28th  of  July  they  were  at  Stony  Lake 
and  skirmished  with  our  forces,  experiencing  again 
loss  and  defeat.  Nevertheless,  the  young  Indian 
commander  showed  great  generalship  in  working 
his  way  across  the  Missouri  Elver  and  putting  a 
stop  to  further  pursuit  by  Sibley's  men. 

On  the  3d  of  September  General  Sully  struck 
a  large  force  of  Indians,  including  Young  Crow's, 
at  White  Stone  Hill,  a  hundred  and  thirty  miles 
above  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Cheyenne,  and  thirty 
below  where  they  had  crossed  in  front  of  Sibley. 
One  of  Sully 's  battles  instantly  occurred.  It  was 
a  bloody  one  to  both  sides.  Sully  lost  twenty 
soldiers  killed  and  thirty-eight  wounded;  the  In 
dians  lost  vastly  more  in  numbers,  leaving  a  hun 
dred  and  fifty  prisoners  in  Sully 's  hands.  This 
battle,  with  the  operations  of  1863,  delivered  Min 
nesota  from  the  great  burden  of  Indian  occupation 
and  fear  of  further  massacres. 

The  events  narrated  in  this  chapter  indicate 
the  serious  trouble  that  the  United  States  experi 
enced  during  the  trying  period  of  the  Civil  War 
from  the  hostility  of  many  Indian  tribes  along  the 
border. 

Referring  again  to  the  hostiles  of  the  Indian 

i  Territory  I  may  note  that  Indians  were  used  on 

[both  sides  in  the  Civil  War.    The  loyal  Indians  of 

the  Cherokee,  Creek,  and  Seminole  nations  were 

organized  into  three  regiments  and  put  under  the 


AMONG  OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  119 

command  of  Colonel  William  A.  Phillips  of  Kan 
sas.  "  In  all  the  operations  in  which  they  partici 
pated  they  acquitted  themselves  creditably  and  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  Union  commander  in  the 
Indian  Territory."* 

The  three  Confederate  Indian  regiments  pre 
viously  mentioned  were  commanded  by  General 
Albert  Pike.  They  did  not  excceed  three  thousand 
five  hundred  men.  They  were  engaged  in  the 
battle  of  Chusto  Talasah,  where  Colonel  Cooper, 
the  Confederate  leader,  reported  that  about  five 
hundred  loyal  Indians  were  killed  and  wounded. 
Their  own  loss,  not  given  in  the  records,  was  con 
siderable.  These  same  Indians  participated  in  the 
battle  of  Pea  Ridge  in  March,  1862.  They  were 
accused  of  scalping  our  prisoners.  General  Pike 
was  indignant  on  hearing  the  report,  and  after 
search  found  but  one  Union  man  scalped.  To  his 
credit  be  it  said  he  issued  an  order  condemning 
the  barbarous  practice  in  the  strongest  possible 
terms.  Wiley  Britton  says:  "  They  fought  very 
well  when  they  had  an  opportunity  to  take  shelter 
behind  trees  and  logs  (in  Indian  fashion),  but 
could  not  easily  be  brought  to  face  artillery,  and  a 
single  shell  thrown  at  them  was  generally  sufficient 
to  demoralize  them  and  put  them  to  flight." 

At  a  later  day  the  Indians  became  used  to  artil 
lery,  and  were  as  able  to  guard  themselves  against 
its  ravages  and  to  withstand  a  battery  as  other 
fighting  men,  that  is,  as  soon  as  they  understood 
the  range  and  effectiveness  of  the  guns. 

*  See  Wiley  Britton's  "  Battles  &  Leaders." 
8 


CHAPTER  VII. 

ASSIGNED  TO  DUTY  AMONG  THE  BLOODTHIRSTY  APACHES  — 
MY  ARRIVAL  IN  ARIZONA. 

A  New  Field  of  Labor  — "  Grant's  Peace  Policy"  — The  Fierce  and 
Murderous  Apaches  —  A  Roaming  and  Warlike  Tribe  —  Cochise, 
the  Notorious  Apache  Chief  —  An  Elusive  and  Dangerous  Foe  — 
Their  Sudden  Descents  on  Scattered  Settlements  —  Slaying  Every 
White  Man  Far  and  Near  —  My  Arrival  at  Fort  Yuma  —  No  Rain 
for  Three  Years  —  A  Six-mule  Ambulance  —  "  Dismal  Jeems  "  — 
An  Extraordinary  Driver — Comical  Dignity  of  an  Indian  Chief 
—  Vanished  Pomp  and  Pride  —  Appearance  of  the  Yumas  —  Ari 
zona  Sand  Storms. 

IN  compliance  with  a  request  of  President  Lin 
coln,  made  a  few  days  before  his  assassination 
and  left  with  Hon.  Edwin  M.  Stanton,  the  Sec 
retary  of  War,  I  was  detailed  as  Commissioner  of 
the  Bureau  of  Preedmen  and  Refugees.  After 
my  arrival  in  Washington  I  attended  to  the  duties 
of  this  bureau  from  early  in  May  until  the  spring 
of  1874.  But  in  1872  there  was  an  interval  of 
nearly  a  year  in  which  General  Eliphalet  Whittle- 
sey  discharged  the  duties  of  the  bureau  for  me  and 
in  my  name,  while  I  was  awray,  by  President 
Grant's  order,  in  another  field  of  labor. 

My  work  concerned  what  was  called  "  General 
Grant's  Policy  with  the  Indians,"  and  came  about 
in  this  way :  Before  this  time  the  Indian  manage 
ment,  in  its  dealings  with  the  Indians  all  through 
the  country  even  to  its  remote  corners,  had  ac 
quired  a  reputation  not  at  all  to  be  desired.  Ex 
travagance,  deception,  extortion,  cruelty,  and  all 


IRON  MOUNTAIN'S  CAMP. 


HAND  SHAKER'S  CAMP. 
TYPICAL  WILD   INDIAN  CAMPS.  — COM ANCHE. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  121 

sorts  of  crimes  were  here  and  there  imputed,  and 
charged  up  by  the  public  press  and  by  writers  of 
books  against  Indian  agents  and  employees. 

Such  was  the  case  when  General  U.  S.  Grant 
became  President.  He  placed  at  the  head  of  the 
bureau  a  full-blooded  Indian.  General  Ely  Parker, 
who  had  been  during  the  Civil  War  an  intelligent 
and  efficient  member  of  his  staff.  He  next  asked 
the  representative  societies  of  all  the  churches  of 
the  land  to  correspond  with  the  bureau  and  recom 
mend  new  agents  and  other  employees.  A  distri 
bution  of  the  agencies  was  then  made  among  these 
several  societies.  Many  were  reserved  to  the 
Roman  Catholics,  some  assigned  to  the  Methodists, 
some  to  the  Episcopalians,  some  to  the  Presby 
terians,  some  to  the  Baptists,  Lutherans,  and  other 
denominations.  This  arrangement  was  called 
"  Grant's  Indian  Policy."  A  little  later  it  was 
termed  "  Grant's  Peace  Policy."  It  was  not  long 
before  a  peace,  nominal  at  least,  was  effected  with 
nearly  all  the  Indians  throughout  the  country. 

Omitting  some  little  difficulties  between  the 
whites  and  Indians  in  New  Mexico  and  Arizona, 
we  may  say  that  the  "  Peace  Policy"  had  been 
accepted  by  all  the  tribes  except  one,  and  that  one 
belonged  to  the  large  Apache  division  of  the  south 
west.  A  celebrated  and  very  able  chief,  Cochise 
by  name,  had  successfully  fought  our  troops  and 
continued  his  robberies  and  murders  for  many 
years.  The  grievances  of  this  tribe  had  long  be 
fore  been  very  great,  and  for  ten  years  previous 
to  General  Grant's  announcement  of  his  peace 
policy  these,  the  Chiricahua  Apaches,  under  Co- 


122  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

chise,  had  carried  on  a  system  of  aggression  and 
spoliation  in  Arizona,  New  Mexico,  and  across  the 
borders  of  Old  Mexico,  which  gave  the  government 
and  the  people  of  that  region  unheard-of  trouble. 
These  Apaches  would  roam  over  the  country  in 
small  bands,  destroy  the  stages  with  their  passen 
gers,  rob  supply  trains,  slay  every  white  man  far 
and  near,  and  break  up  every  party  sent  out  to 
prospect  for  mines  or  establish  surveys. 

After  General  Parker  became  Commissioner 
of  the  Indian  Bureau,  and  the  Hon.  Columbus 
Delano  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  a  strong  effort 
was  made  to  reach  this  tribe  by  a  special  commis 
sioner.  A  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  Vin 
cent  Colyer  of  New  York,  was  selected  for  this 
office  and  dispatched  to  Arizona.  Mr.  Colyer  was 
a  well-known  philanthropist,  who  during  the  Civil 
War  had  freely  rendered  the  most  devoted  per 
sonal  service  to  the  soldiers,  especially  in  the  work 
of  the  Christian  Commission.  In  1868  President 
Grant  appointed  him  a  member  of  the  board  of 
Indian  commissioners.  He  was  afterward  elected 
secretary,  remaining  in  charge  as  chief  executive 
officer  for  three  years. 

General  Crook,  then  commanding  the  Depart 
ment  of  Arizona,  gave  Mr.  Colyer  a  fine  escort  of 
cavalry  and  facilitated  his  expedition  in  every  way 
possible,  but  he  could  never  find  the  redoubtable 
chieftain;  he  could  not,  in  fact,  get  beyond  Co- 
chise's  scouts  who  were  on  the  qui  vive  a  hundred 
miles  away  from  his  stronghold.  After  many 
futile  efforts  to  communicate  with  the  Indians, 
Mr.  Colyer  gave  up  the  quest  and  returned  home. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  123 

Then  it  was,  the  last  of  February,  1872,  that  a 
member  of  the  board  of  Indian  commissions,  a 
"Friend'1'  from  Maine,  usually  called  "  Father 
Lang,"  went  to  Mr.  Delano  and  said  to  him: 
"  Why  not  try  General  Howard  as  a  special  com 
missioner  to  Arizona  and  New  Mexico  to  settle  the 
troubles  down  there,  and  especially  to  make  peace 
with  the  Ghiricahua  Apaches  under  old  Cochise?  " 
One  object  in  choosing  me  was  that  I  was  known 
as  a  friend  of  the  Indians,  and  another  that  I  had 
sufficient  rank  as  a  major-general  to  command 
everybody  in  the  military  service  in  the  depart 
ment  and  districts  of  the  southwest. 

After  a  little  thought  Mr.  Delano  said :  "  I  will 
write  to  General  Howard  and  see  if  he  is  willing  to 
go,  and  I  will  also  speak  to  the  President  and 
ascertain  what  he  thinks  about  it."  I  answered 
Mr.  Delano  that  I  was  willing  to  go,  if  he  and  the 
President  thought  well  of  it,  and  would  then  do 
what  I  could  to  secure  the  desired  peace.  General 
Grant  paid  me  a  high  compliment  when  Mr.  De 
lano  spoke  to  him,  and  one  which  I  am  proud  to 
have  a  matter  of  record.  It  was  to  the  effect  that 
no  man  was  better  adapted  to  the  purpose ;  but  he 
couldn't  see  how  even  General  Howard  could  ac 
complish  what  they  desired.  They  resolved,  how 
ever,  that  I  should  undertake  the  expedition,  so 
that  very  speedily  the  necessary  preparations  were 
made. 

I  was  ordered  to  report  to  the  Secretary  of  the 
Interior  for  instructions  and  the  necessary  outfit. 
These  instructions  revealed  a  host  of  complaints 
and  grievances  on  the  part  of  various  tribes ;  for 


124  MY  LIFE  AND.  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

example,  by  the  Yumas,  the  Pimas,  the  Maricopas, 
the  Arivipas,  the  Mojaves,  the  Tontos,  and  the 
White  Mountain  Apaches.  There  were  also  lively 
disturbances  in  the  Warm  Spring  tribe,  recently 
moved  to  Tulurosa,  a  disagreeable  region  in  the 
western  part  of  New  Mexico ;  and  feuds  of  all  sorts 
existed  between  the  Navajos  and  their  neighbors. 
There  were  Indians  at  Fort  Stanton  who  were 
breaking  out  from  their  reservation  and  depredat 
ing  upon  the  scattered  settlements.  All  these 
surrounding  tribes  were  to  be  quieted  by  my  ex 
pedition,  but  the  main  thing  was  to  make  peace 
with  the  warlike  Chiricahuas  under  Cochise. 

I  made  up  my  party  as  far  as  I  could  from 
Washington,  taking  an  aide-de-camp,  Captain  M. 
C.  Wilkinson,  an  interpreter  who  spoke  Spanish, 
and  a  celebrated  Indian  agent  from  the  White 
Earth  Reservation,  E.  P.  Smith,  who  afterward 
became  Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs  at  Wash 
ington.  Mr.  Smith  had  shown  marked  ability  in 
dealing  with  Indians  in  the  northwest,  and  in 
Christian  work  during  the  war,  and  afterwards  in 
school  work  among  the  freedmen.  He  had  been 
my  friend  and  coadjutor  for  years. 

With  these  acceptable  assistants  I  set  out  the 
7th  of  March  and  made  my  way  to  California. 
General  John  M.  Scofield  in  San  Francisco  was 
commanding  the  Pacific  Division,  which  included 
General  George  Crook's  command  of  Arizona  and 
New  Mexico.  General  Grant  had  given  me  special 
letters,  written  in  his  own  hand,  to  both  Schofield 
and  Crook.  From  the  former  on  my  arrival  I 
received  every  necessary  help,  orders  for  trans- 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  125 

portation  and  supply,  and  for  an  escort  should  I 
need  it. 

The  journey  down  the  coast  on  a  comparatively 
smooth  sea,  upon  the  old  steamer  Newbern,  had 
few  incidents  worth  recording.  Mrs.  Crook,  the 
wife  of  the  general,  formed  part  of  our  company 
and  added  life  and  pleasure  to  our  voyage.  She, 
with  her  brother,  was  on  her  way  to  join  her  hus 
band  at  his  headquarters  in  Prescott,  Arizona. 
Books,  singing,  and  simple  games  made  the  days 
pass  quickly.  Mrs.  Crook  and  Captain  Wilkinson 
were  good  singers,  so  part  of  the  way  we  had  an 
abundance  of  songs  and  hymns  to  entertain  and 
refresh  us. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  Colorado  River  we  ex 
changed  from  the  Newbern  to  a  river  steamboat. 
I  remember  little  of  this  part  of  our  journey, 
except  that  the  cooking  was  about  as  bad  as  it 
could  be,  and  that  garlic  appeared  to  enter  into 
every  dish  that  came  upon  the  table.  It  was  a 
great  trial  to  Captain  Wilkinson,  for,  though  he 
was  well  again  after  sundry  attacks  of  seasickness, 
he  seemed,  after  our  transfer,  unequal  to  the  rough 
fare  of  that  steamboat. 

Fifty  miles  below  Arizona  City  Indian  runners 
from  Yuma  began  to  come  in.  I  was  greatly  in 
terested  in  them.  They  were  lightly  clad,  usually 
with  an  undershirt,  a  breech-clout,  moccasins,  and 
a  Spanish  hat,  either  a  light  sombrero  or  a  broad- 
brimmed  straw.  They  brought  us  letters  and  dis 
patches,  and  took  our  communications  back  to  be 
mailed  at  Arizona  City.  So  much  swifter  were 
they  than  the  steamboat,  which,  of  course,  had  to 


126  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

pursue  a  crooked  route,  that  our  letters  carried  by 
the  runners  were  mailed  two  days  before  we  ar 
rived. 

Arizona  City  was  only  a  village.  The  Yuma 
chief  had  a  small  tract  of  country  and  a  bivouac 
of  his  people,  which  he  presided  over  with  great 
dignity,  not  far  from  the  city,  and  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  Colorado  River.  This  region,  as  a  rule, 
was  very  dry.  For  miles  around  there  had  been, 
when  we  were  there,  no  rain  for  a  period  of  nearly 
three  years.  People  often  became  deaf  from  the 
exceeding  dryness  of  the  air  and  the  prolonged  and 
intense  heat.  Water  for  all  purposes  had  to  come 
from  the  Colorado  River.  Above  Fort  Yuma  there 
were  irrigating  ditches.  Near  the  city  were  curi 
ously  made  pumps  run  by  windmills,  but  most  of 
the  people  —  Indians,  citizens,  and  soldiers  - 
brought  water  from  the  river  in  pails,  or  hauled  it 
in  barrels  and  tubs. 

What  was  called  the  fort,  only  an  army  post, 
a  mile  or  more  above  the  city,  was  a  portion  of 
ground  perhaps  a  mile  square,  fenced  in,  and  with 
a  sufficient  number  of  buildings  for  two  companies 
of  infantry  and  the  quartermaster's  stores.  The 
irrigating  ditches,  drawing  water  from  the  river 
above  it,  had  enabled  the  officers  to  cover  the 
reservation  fairly  well  with  shrubbery  and  cotton 
trees.  It  was  delightful  to  see  the  green  leaves 
within  the  enclosure,  and  it  gave  us  all  a  keen  sense 
of  comfort  to  escape  from  the  intolerable  dust  and 
heat  outside  into  the  spacious  quarters  of  Major 
J.  G.  C.  Lee,  who  was  in  charge  of  the  quarter 
master's  depot,  and  who,  with  his  wife,  welcomed 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  127 

us  most  cordially  and  entertained  us  with  generous 
hospitality. 

My  first  duty  was  with  the  Yumas.  Major  Lee 
gave  us  our  choice,  —  horses  to  ride,  or  a  spring 
wagon  with  a  good  driver.  For  short  journeys 
we  chose  the  horses,  and  for  long  ones  across  the 
sand  desert  we  had  the  spring  wagon,  large  enough 
to  carry  our  whole  party  inside,  with  the  driver 
up  high  on  a  seat  arranged  like  those  of  the  stages 
of  the  country.  Such  a  wagon  is  usually  called  an 
ambulance,  and  was  always  drawn  by  six  mules. 
Lee  gave  us  an  extraordinary  driver  whom  we 
named  "  Dismal  Jeems."  The  reason  for  giving 
him  this  name  will  appear  as  my  narrative  pro 
ceeds. 

After  a  rest  of  a  single  night  I  attended  a 
council  of  the  Yumas,  at  which  the  Yuma  chief, 
Pascual,  was  present.  It  had  been  already  ar 
ranged  for  by  a  local  agent,  who  for  a  small  com 
pensation  had  been  doing  the  slight  work  of  an 
Indian  agent  in  addition  to  his  ordinary  business. 

The<3GESSi^appeared  very  glad  to  see  me.  The 
chief,  whom  the  whites  called  by  the  Spanish  name 
66  Pascual,"  was  an  old  man,  I  suspect  more  than 
eighty.  He  was  dressed  very  much  as  the  messen 
gers  whom  I  have  described.  He  wras  very  tall 
and  thin.  His  shirt  was  open  at  the  front,  ex 
posing  the  bones  of  his  chest,  and  his  limbs, 
without  leggings,  were  long  and  bony.  The  moc 
casins  upon  his  feet  guarded  him  against  the 
prickly-pear  and  other  thorny  cacti  that  abounded. 
He  had  all  the  dignity  of  an  ancestral  king  when 
he  rose  to  greet  me  as  the  alleged  representative 


128          MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

of  the  President  of  the  United  States;  but  his 
dignity  seemed  to  disappear  after  he  squatted 
upon  a  low  bench  and  began  to  recite  his  wants 
and  his  troubles  with  the  plaintive  voice  of  an  old 
man. 

The  Yumas  were  very  poor.  The  men  about  us 
were  dressed  in  rags  —  yet  little  clothing  was  re 
quired  —  and  all  those  approaching  age  were  ill- 
looking  and  squalid.  The  younger  portion,  for  the 
most  part,  showed  signs  of  scrofula,  or  of  some 
sort  of  loathsome  disease,  introduced  by  the  dis 
solute  men  that  had  followed  our  merchant  trains, 
or  those  of  our  army.  Many  of  the  younger 
women,  however,  wrere  well  clad.  Some  had  orna 
ments  about  their  necks,  such  as  beads,  strings  of 
silver  pieces,  or  kerchiefs.  They  wrore  calico  gowns 
or  skirts,  with  here  and  there  an  upper  garment. 
From  every  quarter  I  heard  that  these  poor  In 
dians,  hanging  about  the  village  of  Arizona  City, 
had  been  demoralized  through  their  dealings  with 
the  whites. 

Some  eight  or  ten  of  the  men  that  I  saw  had 
much  the  advantage  of  the  rest  of  their  tribe  in 
personal  appearance.  They  were  tall  and  broad- 
shouldered.  Their  hair  was  cut  square  just  above 
the  neck,  and  they  were  in  good  flesh':  I  was  told 
that  they  obtained  their  living  by  cutting  wood  for 
the  river  steamers  and  by  working  about  the 
wharves  of  the  village.  Every  one  of  these  wore, 
like  the  Mexicans  and  half-breeds,  trousers  which 
were  fastened  closely  about  their  middle,  secured 
by  a  waist-belt  in  which  was  the  usual  sheath- 
knife. 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  129 

When  a  Yunia  ran  away  from  the  tribe  and  got 
his  living  by  hunting  with  wilder  tribes  he  was 
called  an  "  Apache- Yuma,"  and  I  began  to  see 
from  the  use  of  the  word  that  Apache  meant  simply 
wild.  In  the  same  way  there  were  "  Apache- 
Mo  javes  "  and  "  Mojaves  proper." 

I  was  soon  able  to  satisfy  the  complaints,  writ 
ten  and  verbal,  of  the  aged  chieftain  and  his  com 
panions,  and  to  provide  for  their  immediate  wants, 
though  spending  but  a  single  day  upon  their 
grounds.  As  a  rule  these  Indians  had  defective 
sight,  owing,  I  presume,  to  the  torrid  heats,  the 
constant  smoke,  the  excessive  dust,  and  the  oft- 
recurring  torment  of  terrific  sandstorms.  A  sand 
storm  seems  to  rise  far  away  on  the  horizon.  It 
approaches  steadily  and  finally  bursts  upon  the 
village,  the  garrison,  and  the  Indian  camp;  but 
there  is  no  rain  in  it  and  none  to  follow.  The 
blackness  comes  from  the  dense  clouds  of  sand  and 
alkali  dust,  and  there  is  no  comfort  to  anybody 
exposed  to  the  blast  until  the  storm  has  spent  its 
fury  and  passed. 

The  first  accounts  we  have  of  these  Indians, 
given  by  the  Spaniards  who  visited  Arizona,  show 
them  to  have  been  unusually  large  in  size.  The 
early  visitors  called  them  "  giants."  Habitually 
at  that  time  they  were  altogether  without  clothing. 
They  were  athletic  in  build  and  possessed  great 
strength.  "A  log,"  says  our  writer,  "  that  six 
Spaniards  could  not  carry,  a  Yuma  would  pick  up 
and  carry  on  his  head  with  little  apparent  effort." 
They  would  bear  off  a  load  of  two  or  three  hundred 
pounds  without  a  show  of  fatigue. 


130          MY   LITE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Soon  after  the  Mexican  War,  some  twenty-five 
years  before  my  visit,  the  Yumas,  then  about  two 
thousand  strong,  had  shown  themselves  averse  to 
our  taking  possession  of  the  country.  I  heard  a 
staunch  old  army  officer,  Colonel  Heintzelman,  say 
that  he  had  encountered  those  Indians  in  the  out 
set  and  had  conquered  them  in  battle,  and  that 
ever  since  they  had  been  well  behaved,  gained  a 
reasonable  self-support,  and  given  the  government 
no  trouble.  Heintzelman  stoutly  averred  that  the 
true  way  to  keep  Indians  good  and  peaceable  was 
to  begin  by  whipping  them  soundly.  The  old 
chief,  Pascual,  was  of  great  age  and  very  infirm, 
and  in  himself  and  his  surroundings  he  exemplified 
the  poverty  and  degradation  of  his  people.  He 
had  just  a  vestige  of  the  pomp  and  pride  that  had 
once  been  his.  I  could  not  help  thinking  that  there 
was  a  better  way  to  deal  with  Indians  than  to  begin 
with  the  conquering  sword  and  f ollow  it  up  with 
starvation,  and  justify  every  species  of  neglect 
and  mismanagement  in  our  dealing  with  them. 
In  spite  of  our  prolonged  Florida  conflicts  with 
the  Seminoles,  we  have  dealt  in  a  better  way  with 
them  and  their  descendants  than  with  the  Yumas. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

CAMPAIGNING  IN  ARIZONA  —  JOURNEYING  ACROSS  THE  "AL 
KALI  DESERT  "  —  LIFE  AMONG  THE  PIMAS 
AND  MARICOPAS. 

Disagreeable  Effects  of  Alkali  Dust  —  A  Ration  of  Raw  Onions  — 
"  Oh,  Pshaw !  The  General  Would  Eat  a  Boiled  Crow !  "  —  A  New 
Way  of  Obtaining  Self-control  —  Trailing  the  Apaches  —  Tales 
Told  by  "  Dismal  Jeems  "  —  A  Dry  and  Barren  Country  —  My 
Pima  Indian  Interpreter  —  Civilizing  Wild  Indians  with  a  Melo- 
deon  —  A  Man  with  a  Remarkable  History  —  A  Queer  Missionary 
— "  Let  the  Parson  Preach !  "  —  Religious  Service  in  a  Frontier 
Saloon  —  Taking  up  a  Collection  —  An  Arizona  Bull-train  —  Pima 
Women  —  Oddly  Constructed  Houses  —  A  Missionary  Bride. 

EARLY  the  next  morning,  after  my  council 
with  the  Yumas,  our  party,  using  the  six- 
mule  team,  with  "  Dismal  Jeems"  for  a 
driver,  proceeded  across  the  long  stretch  of  coun 
try  then  called  the  "  Alkali  Desert. "  An  army 
paymaster,  Major  Sprague,  set  out  at  the  same 
time  for  Fort  McDowell  and  accompanied  us  all  of 
the  first  day.  We  halted  for  the  night  at  a  cross 
road,  a  place  near  which  there  had  been  a  silver 
mine,  which,  after  opening,  proved  of  little  value, 
so  that  the  small  hamlet  called  "  Gila  City  "  had 
been  reduced  to  a  single  house  and  stage  station. 
The  ride  through  the  alkali  dust  had  been  an 
extremely  disagreeable  one,  and  it  was  difficult  to 
cleanse  our  faces  and  hands  from  the  grime  with 
out  increasing  the  usual '  poisonous  effect.  One 
young  man's  eyes  became  so  sore  and  swollen  that 
he  could  scarcely  see. 


132          MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Major  Sprague  that  evening  invited  us  to  dine 
with  him  around  the  "  mess  chest."  I  had  been 
trying  to  discipline  my  friends  so  that  their  faces 
would  be  immobile  when  in  the  presence  of  In 
dians,  never  betraying  any  feeling  of  anxiety, 
vexation,  or  anger,  and  I  had  annoyed  my  aide-de 
camp  by  insisting  that  he  should  eat  any  sort  of 
food  -without  hesitation  or  question,  that  might  be 
placed  before  him.  That  night  in  the  presence  of 
all  our  party  at  Major  Sprague 's  entertainment 
he  tried  to  turn  the  tables  upon  his  general.  He 
knew  that  I  was  not  fond  of  raw  onions.  Before 
him  he  saw  a  large  plate  of  them.  Without  a 
smile,  and  with  an  innocent  look  on  his  face,  he 
passed  the  onions  to  me.  Instantly  comprehending 
his  purpose  I  took  a  couple  of  them  and,  with 
apparent  relish,  quietly  ate  them.  His  expression 
is  better  remembered  than  described  when  he  ex 
claimed  to  Sprague:  "Oh,  pshaw!  the  general 
would  eat  a  boiled  crow! >:  It  was  not  long  after 
this  that  the  aide-de-camp  realized  the  benefit  of 
self-control  and  self-command  as  never  before, 
when  several  of  the  fiercest  Apaches  were  narrowly 
watching  his  face,  which,  in  spite  of  a  mighty  effort 
to  appear  unconcerned,  ill  concealed  his  profound 
disgust  while  eating  an  article  of  their  food. 

We  passed  several  places  on  that  journey  that 
had  an  eventful  history.  One  was  where  a  few 
houses  had  stood  and  the  Indians  had  raided  them, 
killed  all  the  people  and  driven  off  their  stock. 
At  another  two  or  three  men  were  upon  a  hill 
surmounted  by  a  flat  rock,  from  which  point  of 
view  they  saw  a  woman  separated  from  her  group 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  135 

and  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away.  One  of  them  pro 
posed  to  see  if  he  could  "  wing  "  her  with  his  rifle. 
He  took  aim  and  fired,  whereupon,  to  the  astonish 
ment  of  everybody,  she  fell  upon  her  face,  and 
before  they  could  get  to  her  had  bled  to  death. 
The  man  who  fired  the  rifle  was  her  own  husband. 
It  was  with  such  tales  as  these  that  "Dismal 
Jeems  ' '  regaled  my  companions  and  myself,  as  by 
turns  we  took  a  place  by  his  side  on  the  high  seat. 

At  last,  through  hours  of  unceasing  heat  and 
dust,  we  arrived  at  Sacatone,  the  stage  station 
nearest  to  the  Pinia  agency.  "Jeems"  had  al 
ready  filled  my  mind  as  full  as  possible  with  wild 
tales  of  the  barren  region  through  which  we  had 
passed ;  poor  man,  he  could  not  tell  of  one  pleasant 
incident  to  redeem  it.  He  seemed  miserable  him 
self,  and  had  a  strange  relish  for  making  other 
people  miserable  with  his  distressing  stories. 

The  Pimas  at  that  time  were  estimated  to  be 
five  thousand  strong.  They  were  for  the  most  part 
of  the  Pueblo  class  and  well  disposed  toward  other 
Indians  and  toward  wrhite  men.  According  to  the 
information  which  I  brought  in  my  pocket  they 
had  a  very  serious  grievance  against  the  white 
settlers  who  were  crowding  them  and  taking  up 
land  above  them  along  the  Gila  River.  This  river 
is  very  remarkable.  You  may  find  a  stretch  of  it 
for  a  mile  or  more  where  there  appears  to  be  an 
abundance  of  water  and  a  reasonably  rapid  cur 
rent,  but  above  this  opening  there  is  only  the  sem 
blance  of  a  river,  apparently  a  river  bed  of  nothing 
but  dry  sand.  The  surface  has  no  moisture  and 
has  a  barren  look.  As  you  proceed  you  find  the 


136  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

same  conditions  repeated.  I  thought  there  must  be 
some  underground  connection  to  keep  up  the  flow 
of  water  which  here  and  there  was  exposed,  though 
I  was  told  that  the  sand  really  absorbed  the  water 
and  let  it  in  above  and  out  below  without  greatly 
hindering  its  current. 

The  Pimas,  by  a  system  of  irrigation,  succeeded 
in  raising  crops  of  grain  and  vegetables.  But 
when  the  white  men,  imitating  them,  made 
ditches  far  above  the  Pima  territory,  the  quantity 
of  water  was  so  diminished  that  they  could  hardly 
succeed  in  cultivating  a  crop.  What  an  exhibition 
of  selfishness!  Many  expedients  have  been  re 
sorted  to  to  relieve  the  situation.  For  years  there 
has  been  a  hope  that  the  government  would  con 
struct  for  them  a  dam  and  a  reservoir,  so  that  in 
the  flood  season  in  the  mountains  there  might  be 
stored  up  water  enough  to  satisfy  all  the  dwellers 
along  the  banks  and  valley  of  the  Gila. 

The  agent,  a  young  man  with  a  family,  Mr. 
J.  H.  Stout,  met  me  at  Sacatone  with  his  buck- 
board  and  took  me  comfortably  over  to  the  agency 
buildings. 

The  first  Indian  I  saw  at  Sacatone  was  intro 
duced  to  me  as  "  Louis,"  the  interpreter.  I  looked 
upon  him  with  admiration.  He  was  five  feet  and 
eleven  inches  tall,  with  a  perfect  figure.  He  had 
large  dark  eyes  that  were  changeable  according  to 
his  mood,  lustrous  and  winning  when  he  was 
pleased,  but  full  of  quick  flashes  and  repellant 
when  he  was  angry.  His  very  black,  thick  hair 
was  combed  back,  slightly  parted  in  the  middle, 
and  plaited  in  two  braids  which  extended  below 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  137 

his  knees  behind.  While  at  the  agency  I  never  saw 
him  wear  a  hat.  He  did  not  need  any.  He  was 
always  on  hand  to  translate  from  English  into 
Spanish,  but  usually  from  Spanish  into  the  Pima 
tongue.  It  was  a  pleasure  to  hear  his  melodious 
voice  roll  out  Spanish  with  a  measured  accent. 
Louis  was  with  me  a  long  time  during  the  summer 
of  1872,  and  traveled  with  me  many  miles,  and  I 
became  very  fond  of  him. 

Louis  was  the  helper  to  the  agent,  but  more  so 
to  the  teacher,  Mr.  C.  H.  Cook  (his  name  was  Koch 
when  he  came  to  America,  but  he  had  it  changed  to 
Cook  when  he  enlisted  in  the  army).  Mr.  Cook 
had  a  remarkable  history.  During  the  Civil  War 
his  regiment  had  been  sent  into  New  Mexico  and 
along  the  borders  of  Arizona  to  quell  Indian  out 
breaks.  After  he  was  mustered  out  he  became 
greatly  interested  in  religion,  making  public  con 
fession  and  uniting  with  the  Methodist  church. 
While  recalling  his  past  life  and  experiences,  he 
thought  of  the  Apaches  of  New  Mexico  and  Ari 
zona,  and  became  possessed  with  the  idea  that  it 
was  his  duty  to  go  as  a  missionary  to  them.  When 
he  had  laid  by  a  small  amount  of  money  he  con 
cluded  to  start  for  the  Apache  country.  He  bought 
a  small  melodeon  which  he  could  use  to  accompany 
him  in  his  singing,  packed  it  in  his  trunk,  and 
started  from  Chicago  for  Santa  Fe.  The  journey 
cost  him  so  much  that  he  had  but  a  few  dollars  left, 
not  enough  to  reach  the  Apaches  whom  he  had  in 
mind.  After  prayer  and  consideration  he  con 
cluded  to  take  the  stage  and  go  as  far  as  his  money 
would  carry  him. 

9 


138  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

One  Sunday  morning  he  arrived  at  a  cross 
road  in  New  Mexico  where  there  was  a  little  hamlet 
and  a  single  liquor  saloon.  While  thinking  what 
he  had  better  do  next  he  noticed  a  number  of  rough 
men  coming  from  different  directions  to  spend  the 
day  in  and  near  the  saloon.  He  leaned  against  a 
log  by  the  roadside  and  watched  the  different 
parties  as  they  rode  races,  while  others  sat  in 
groups  to  play  cards,  throw  dice,  or  gathered  in 
the  saloon  to  treat  one  another.  Taking  his  Testa 
ment  and  hymn  book  from  his  pocket  Mr.  Cook 
arose  and  went  into  the  saloon  and  said  to  the  bar 
tender  that  he  would  like  to  hold  a  religious  serv 
ice.  The  astonished  bartender  was  making  some 
strenuous  objections  when  a  queer-looking  man, 
with  a  tall  hat,  much  the  worse  for  wear,  pulled 
down  over  his  face,  suddenly  took  it  off  and  said  to 
his  boon  companions:  "  Let  the  parson  preach!  " 
Accustomed  to  this  man's  whims  the  crowd  laughed 
and  jovially  consented,  taking  a  chair  or  bench 
with  mock  solemnity,  or  backing  up  against  the 
counter  with  smiling  expectancy.  The  bartender, 
making  no  further  objection,  entered  into  the  fun 
himself  and  said:  "  Parson,  go  ahead!  " 

Mr.  Cook,  not  abashed,  began  at  once  to  read  a 
hymn,  then  he  started  a  tune,  and  to  his  astonish 
ment  several  of  the  roughs  joined  in  the  singing. 
He  went  on  to  read  the  Scriptures  and  preach  and 
pray,  and  closed  with  another  familiar  hymn.  At 
the  end  of  his  service  the  strange  man  with  the  tall 
hat  said :  ' '  This  thing  will  not  be  complete  without 
a  collection,"  and  passed  his  hat  around.  Every 
body  contributed,  and  in  this  way  our  friend  ob- 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  139 

tained  thirteen  dollars  and  fifty  cents.  The  next 
morning  he  joined  what  was  called  in  that  country 
a  "  bull-train.7'  It  was  a  train  of  wagons  loaded 
with  merchandise  and  hauled  by  small  oxen,  sev 
eral  yokes  of  them  being  attached  to  each  wagon. 
He  was  charged  simply  the  price  of  his  food,  and 
went  on  with  the  train  to  its  destination,  which 
proved  to  be  Tucson,  at  that  time  the  capital  of 
Arizona. 

In  Tucson  then  there  were  few  Americans, 
but  many  Mexicans.  The  Pueblo  Indians,  the 
Pimas,  Maricopas,  and  Papagoes,  came  and  went, 
making  such  small  purchases  as  they  could  afford. 
The  governor  and  his  friends  took  a  great  fancy  to 
Mr.  Cook  and  persuaded  him  to  give  up  his  idea  of 
going  to  the  Apaches  as  a  missionary  and  to  estab 
lish  himself  among  some  of  the  more  peaceable  In 
dians. 

He  yielded  to  their  advice  and  went  to  the  Pima 
agency,  where  for  more  than  a  year  before  my 
visit  he  had  labored  among  the  Pimas  and  the 
Maricopas.  I  had  heard  of  him  and  was  glad  to 
meet  such  a  man.  Antonio,  the  hereditary  chief 
of  the  Pimas,  with  whom  I  had  many  interviews, 
told  me  of  the  invaluable  services  which  Mr,  Cook 
had  rendered.  He  said :  "  We  did  not  know  any 
thing  about  you  Americans  or  the  government  we 
were  under  until  Mr.  Cook  had  gathered  the  chil 
dren  in  classes  and  taught  them.  The  children 
told  their  parents  what  they  had  learned.  So  the 
Indians  had  knowledge."  Mr.  Cook's  method  was 
first  to  learn  the  Pima  language  so  that  he  could 
understand  the  children  and  the  children  could 


140  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

understand  him.  Then  he  instructed  them  in 
English;  and  it  was  amusing  to  hear  them  speak 
English  with  an  unmistakable  German  accent 
which  they  had  caught  from  Mr.  Cook,  who  could 
not  fully  overcome  it  in  his  own  speech. 

Mr.  Stout,  the  agent,  had  constructed  for  Mr. 
Cook  a  rough  schoolroom  with  boards.  But 
among  the  Maricopas,  thirty  miles  distant,  he  had 
been  obliged  to  improvise  a  schoolhouse.  As  there 
was  no  timber  of  any  size,  he  managed  to  put  up  a 
square  frame  with  a  few  small  joists,  the  top  being 
horizontal,  and  then  wattled  the  sides  with  reeds, 
bushes,  and  poles,  such  as  the  country  afforded. 
Thus  the  scholars,  when  inside,  were  sheltered  from 
most  of  the  dust  and  sand  which  the  unobstructed 
winds  often  drove  in  clouds  through  the  Indian 
village.  No  roof  was  needed,  for  rain  was  almost 
unknown  in  that  region. 

Antonio,  the  chief  of  the  Pimas,  was  rather 
short  and  stout,  and  his  son,  Antonito,  the  prince  of 
the  tribe,  wras  even  shorter  than  his  father.  An 
tonio  appeared  to  be  about  fifty  years  of  age,  and 
Antonito  thirty.  These  Pima  Indians  usually 
dressed  as  the  Americans  did,  using  showy 
blankets  on  their  horses  and  to  protect  themselves 
in  the  chill  of  the  evening  or  morning,  and  also  for 
cover  at  night.  Though  the  weather  was  warm,  I 
do  not  believe  I  saw  an  adult  Indian  without  some 
kind  of  clothing.  The  women  were  not  ill-looking, 
usually  having  their  hair  cropped  behind  around 
the  neck,  wearing  it  combed  back  over  their  heads 
and  behind  their  ears.  It  dropped  down  over 
their  faces  as  they  ground  the  corn  with  a  pestle 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  141 

or  bent  over  their  tubs  when  they  were  washing 
near  the  Gila. 

Their  houses  were  so  situated  as  to  make  con 
tinuous  villages,  yet  no  two  nearer  each  other  than 
forty  or  fifty  yards.  The  Pima  house  was  usually 
made  of  ordinary  adobe  material,  was  oddly  con 
structed,  and  appeared,  a  little  way  off,  like  a 
globe  perched  on  a  cylinder,  with  one  door  for 
entrance.  There  was  a  hole  in  the  center  of  the 
top  for  proper  ventilation,  but  no  windows.  Its 
size  was  similar  to  that  of  one  of  our  old-fashioned 
Sibley  tents,  and  had  just  about  as  much  space  and 
comfort  as  I  obtained  from  mine  when  on  the 
Rappahannock  during  the  winter  of  1862  and  '63. 
I  had  constructed  the  cylindrical  part  of  logs 
driven  side  by  side  like  spiles,  and  the  tent  was 
stretched  over  the  tops  of  the  logs. 

The  children,  in  later  years,  were  represented 
at  Hampton  Institute  by  quite  a  number  of  boys 
and  girls  selected  by  the  agent  and  sent  there  under 
the  care  of  Antonito.  At  one  time  I  visited  my 
son,  Lieutenant  Guy  Howard,  while  he  was  a 
student  in  the  artillery  school  at  Fortress  Monroe, 
and  saw  Antonito  sitting  outside  of  his  basement 
quarters  upon  a  rustic  bench.  He  arose  and  smiled 
pleasantly  as  Guy  and  I  spoke  to  him.  I  asked 
how  he  came  there  and  my  son  said:  "  He  is 
studying  with  the  boys  and  girls  from  his  native 
village,  but  without  making  much  progress.  He 
comes  over  here  very  often  and  silently  watches 
me  pass  in  an  out,  after  which  he  returns  con 
tentedly  to  his  school  and  his  charge."  He  had 
seen  me,  and  later  my  son,  in  his  own  far  away 


142  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

country,  and  it  did  his  simple  heart  good  just  to 
gaze  silently  upon  us. 

Antonio  once  said  to  me,  through  the  inter 
preter  Louis  and  Mr.  Cook,  as  follows:  "  Many 
of  my  women  behaved  badly  when  the  teamsters 
and  trainmen  came  along  and  camped  near  us; 
sickness  has  come  from  it,  so  you  see  the  bad  con 
dition  of  many  children."  Mr.  Cook  said  that 
quite  a  number  of  children  of  the  Pimas  and  of 
the  Maricopas  were  afflicted  with  scrofula  as  never 
before. 

The  Pimas  did  not  practice  polygamy.  It  was 
a  tradition  among  them  that  Montezuma  had  told 
their  ancestors  that  a  man  should  have  but  one 
wife,  and  the  Pimas  had  followed  that  teaching. 
Mr.  Cook's  instructions  had  been  most  wholesome. 
Louis  called  himself  a  Christian  and  was  very 
angry  one  day  wrhen  Mr.  Cook  told  him,  on  account 
of  the  impatience  and  anger  he  suddenly  exhibited, 
that  he  was  no  Christian.  The  Pimas,  at  the  time 
of  my  visit,  were  trying  to  understand  what  it  was 
to  be  Christians,  and  they  had  good  examples  be 
fore  them  in  Mr.  Stout  and  his  family  and  Mr. 
Cook.  A  little  later  Mr.  Cook  brought  to  them  his 
German  bride,  a  woman  of  great  beauty  of  person 
and  character;  so  that  the  Indians  had  before 
them  a  good  specimen  of  a  genuine  Christian 
household. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

IN  AND  AROUND  TUCSON  —  INTENSE  FEELING  AGAINST  THE 
INDIANS  OF  ARIZONA  — A  TRAGIC  AND  REGRET 
TABLE  INCIDENT. 

A  Typical  Frontier  Character  —  A  Much  Armed  Sheriff  —  A  Walking 
Arsenal  —  Among  the  Papagoes  —  Indiana  Who  Embraced  the 
Roman  Catholic  Religion  —  A  Mexican  Dancing  Party  —  An  At 
tractive  Indian  Maiden  —  A  Harmless  Flirtation  —  Ludicrous  Mis 
take  of  my  Aid-de-Camp  —  "  Good  Pigs,  Senorita !  "  —  Hospitality 
of  an  Army  Post  —  Trying  the  White  Man's  Ways  —  My  Mexican 
Half-breed  Interpreter  —  Capable  but  Dirty  —  My  Devoted  Friend, 
Chief  "  Santo "  —  Outrageous  Attack  on  Indians  While  Feasting 
and  Dancing  —  Wounding  Little  Indian  Boys  and  Girls  —  Carried 
into  Captivity  —  Arrangements  for  a  Great  Council. 

WE  went  next  to  Tucson,  then  the  capital  of 
Arizona,  a  beautiful  little  city  situated 
in  the  southern  part  of  the  territory,  and 
occupying  an  oasis  in  the  wide  desert  which  here 
extends  in  every  direction.  Grant's  "  Peace 
Policy ' '  was  then  very  unpopular  in  all  that  country 
over  which  the  hostile  Apaches  roamed.  Still,  as 
I  represented  the  President  himself,  and  at  the 
time  outranked  all  the  military  officers,  including 
the  department  commander,  Governor  Safford 
and  his  friends  showed  us  all  the  respect  and  atten 
tion  we  could  desire.  The  governor  extended  to  us 
his  hospitality  and  we  soon  had  comfortable  apart 
ments  in  roomy  adobe  structures.  The  editor  of 
the  local  newspaper,  a  man  of  unusual  acuteness 
and  native  talent,  attacked  the  "  Peace  Policy" 
with  severity,  but  wrote  kindly  of  my  friends  and 
myself  in  spite  of  his  political  bias. 


144  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

There  was  in  Tucson  a  character  frequently 
met  in  frontier  towns,  in  the  person  of  a  rough 
sheriff,  Major  Duffield,  who  protected  himself 
against  his  numerous  enemies  by  having  about  his 
person  loaded  revolvers,  and  a  loaded  rifle  upon 
his  shoulder  which  could  discharge  sixteen  continu 
ous  shots  without  hesitation  or  delay.  At  night 
these  implements  of  authority  were  laid  upon  his 
table  and  kept  always  within  easy  reach.  More 
than  once  he  had  defended  himself  successfully 
against  what  he  called  "  Mexican  robbers  and  fron 
tier  sports.7' 

Nine-tenths  of  the  people  of  Tucson  were  Mexi 
cans.  For  them  the  Roman  Catholics  had  a  very 
respectable  church  edifice  full  of  images  and  pic 
tures  appropriate  to  their  faith.  There  being  no 
other  church  in  Tucson,  my  friend  and  companion, 
Rev.  E.  P.  Smith,  was  asked  to  hold  a  Protestant 
service.  He  did  so  in  a  hall,  where  during  the  first 
Sabbath  the  English-speaking  people,  almost  with 
out  exception,  gathered  to  listen  and  participate. 

Indians,  for  purposes  of  trade,  came  to  Tucson 
every  day.  The  Punas,  though  living  far  away, 
mounted  upon  their  hardy  little  ponies,  made  the 
journey  thither  in  groups  and  families.  They 
encamped  near  at  hand  until  they  had  gathered  in 
such  articles  as  they  wished  from  the  traders,  then 
they  returned  as  they  came.  No  liquor  was  allowed 
to  be  sold  to  them  and  they  made  no  disturbances. 

About  ten  miles  south  from  Tucson  was  an  old 
Catholic  mission.  This  mission  had  been  extended 
to  the  Papagoes  who  had  gathered  in  villages 
within  easy  distance  of  church  and  mission  house. 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  145 

They  were  like  the  Pimas  in  most  respects,  The 
difference  was  not  in  their  houses,  or  in  their 
habits,  dress,  or  manner  of  cultivating  the  soil, 
but  in  their  being  Roman  Catholic  Indians,  having 
the  characteristics  of  uneducated  Catholic  people 
everywhere,  with  a  perceptible  retention  of  Indian 
customs  and  superstitions.  These  Indians  were 
uniformly  peaceable  and  well-disposed  toward  the 
Mexicans.  Our  friends  at  Tucson,  including  the 
governor,  invariably  spoke  highly  of  the  Papago 
chief  and  his  people,  and  wanted  me  to  do  all  I 
could  to  secure  for  them  more  land  and  more  privi 
leges  in  the  way  of  schools  and  irrigation. 

When  I  was  with  the  Pimas  I  secured  a  dele 
gation  to  join  me  at  a  meeting  to  be  held  with  the 
Aravipa  Apaches  in  about  twenty-five  days.  The 
place  to  assemble  was  near  Aravipa  Canyon,  where 
the  army  post  was  then  called  "  Old  Camp  Grant." 
A  similar  delegation  was  promised  by  the  Papago 
chief.  The  governor  and  several  of  his  officers, 
among  them  the  Unitecl  States  district  attorney, 
also  promised  to  go  to  Old  Camp  Grant,  taking  with 
them  as  many  of  the  Mexicans  as  possible,-  particu 
larly  those  who  had  Apache  children  held  as  ser 
vants  in  their  households.  The  reasons  for  these 
preliminary  arrangements  will  soon  appear. 

While  staying  a  few  days  at  Tucson  we  at 
tended  dancing  parties,  which  were  peculiar  to  the 
Mexicans.  They  were  pleasant  little  gatherings 
that  seldom  continued  till  very  late  in  the  night. 
My  aide-de-camp,  Captain  Wilkinson,  and  other 
young  officers  who  were  stationed  near  Tucson, 
enjoyed  the  dances,  especially  the  efforts  of  the 


146          MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Mexican  girls  to  please  them,  and  their  willingness 
to  teach  them  their  soft  and  musical  language. 
The  most  famous  beauty  of  the  place  was  "  Chica," 
who  lived  with  her  widowed  mother,  and  gave 
pleasant  little  "  salons  "  every  evening  while  we 
were  there.  She  was  beautiful  and  in  every  way 
charming  and  was  always  obliging  when  asked  to 
play  her  guitar ;  she  sang  melodiously  and  sweetly. 
Wilkinson  was  fond  of  music  and  soon  delighted  in 
making  visits  at  Chica's  home. 

One  night,  after  he  had  acquired  a  smattering 
of  Spanish,  he  made  an  effort  to  bid  Chica  good 
night  when  he  was  taking  his  departure.  It  may 
be  remembered  that  "  noclies  "  signifies  night,  and 
"  caches  "  means  pigs.  In  his  bashfulness  and  im 
perfect  knowledge  of  the  Spanish  tongue  my  aide- 
de-camp,  while  bowing  politely,  said:  " Buenas 
coches,  Senorita!''  This  created  a  laugh  among 
the  Mexicans  and  the  story  found  its  way  to  the 
fun-loving  Louis  of  the  Pimas.  So  Wilkinson 
was  often  reminded,  during  our  subsequent  jour 
neys,  of  how  he  had  bidden  a  young  lady  farewell 
by  saying,  with  deep  expression:  "  Good  pigs, 
Senorita!" 

Bidding  our  friends  adieu  we  hastened  on  over 
the  forty  miles  to  Old  Camp  Grant.  The  last 
eighteen  miles  our  spring-wagons,  hauled  by 
mules,  dragged  heavily  in  the  coarse,  deep  sand, 
but  for  that  distance  there  had  been  a  constant 
descent  till  the  country  finally  opened  out  into  a 
beautiful  and  broad  plateau.  It  was  a  grassy  val 
ley,  with  a  winding  stream  called  the  Aravipa, 
coursing  through  what  looked  like  eastern  meadow- 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  147 

land.  There  were  deep  ravines  and  mountain 
ranges  not  far  oft',  and  rugged,  rocky  canyons 
within  a  few  miles.  This  post  had  only  rough 
barrack  buildings  which  were  not  adequate  for  the 
four  companies  stationed  there,  so  that  tents  had 
to  be  used.  The  garrison  was  under  the  command 
of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Crittenden.  It  is  always 
like  coming  into  civilization  for  a  campaigner  to 
find  and  visit  an  army  post,  the  more  so  when  it  is 
remote  from  educated  and  intelligent  people. 
Hospitality  is  always  offered,  and  is  never  narrow 
or  restricted,  but  charming  and  generous.  So  it 
was  here. 

The  Apache  Indians  whom  this  post  was  in 
tended  to  watch  were  called  Aravipas  or  Aravipa- 
Apaches.  They  were,  in  contrast  with  the  Pueblos 
and  Papagoes,  comparatively  wild.  Various  tribes 
furnished  them  with  additions,  not  of  the  best  but, 
as  a  rule,  of  the  worst  individuals  of  the  tribe  from 
which  they  came.  Doubtless  there  had  been  depre 
dations  committed  by  these  Indians.  They  often 
helped  themselves  freely  to  horses,  mules,  and 
cattle,  when  they  could  find  them,  and  without  so 
much  as  saying  "  By  your  leave."  But  for  some 
time  prior  to  my  visit  peace  had  existed  and  they 
had  been  trying  the  white  man's  ways.  There  was 
a  United  States  agency  within  a  mile  of  the  garri 
son,  with  Mr.  Jacobs,  the  agent,  in  charge.  The 
headquarters  of  the  agency  consisted  of  a  few 
temporary  structures  to  house  the  employees  and 
furnish  an  office  in  which  the  business  of  the  gov 
ernment  was  transacted. 

Among  my  first  acquaintances  at  the  agency 


148          MY   LIFE   AND   PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

was  the  interpreter,  a  Mexican  half-breed  named 
Concepcioii  Equierre.  His  father  was  a  Mexican 
and  his  mother  an  Indian.  He  spoke  the  Apache 
language  glibly  and  English  with  great  facility. 
It  sometimes  required  extraordinary  attention, 
however,  to  understand  him.  He  was  short  of 
stature  and  thin  of  flesh,  with  hair  and  eyes  as 
black  as  coal.  Usually  he  wore  an  old  jacket,  well- 
seasoned  trousers  that  looked  like  leather,  a  Mexi 
can  straw  hat,  and  a  shirt  with  a  collar  opened  at 
the  neck.  His  garments  were  never  washed,  and 
his  hair  was  never  combed,  but  it  was  straight 
enough  withal  and  worn  back  behind  his  ears. 
When  sober  he  was  a  capital  interpreter,  who 
heartily  sympathized  with  his  Indian  mother's 
people. 

Another  acquaintance  I  made  at  the  agency 
was  "  Santo,"  the  old  hereditary  chief,  and  father- 
in-law  of  Eskimenzeen,  then  chief  of  the  Aravipas. 
He  had  married  the  daughters  of  Santo  —  three  in 
number  —  all  at  the  same  time.  Two  of  them  were 
too  young  for  brides,  but  Eskimenzeen  could  wait 
to  consummate  the  marriage  till  they  became  of 
sufficient  age  for  Indian  wives.  The  eldest  was  a 
very  presentable  young  woman  who  loved  her 
father  and  mother  and  was  proud  of  her  husband. 

I  took  a  glance  at  Santo  as  he  sat  upon  a  small 
bench  looking  at  me.  He  had  rather  a  long  body, 
short  legs,  and  a  very  large  head.  His  face  was  so 
honest  that  it  occurred  to  me  to  try  an  experiment. 
Accordingly  I  told  Concepcion  to  say  to  him: 
"  You  have  a  Father  up  yonder,"  pointing  up 
ward.  He  seemed  pleasantly  to  assent.  "  Say 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  149 

next,  '  I,  General  Howard,  have  a  Father  up  there, 
too.  Your  Father  and  my  Father  the  same.  Then 
if  you  and  I  have  the  same  Father  we  must  be 
brothers. ' ; 

Santo  arose  at  once  and  came  to  me  and  put  his 
hand  in  mine.  He  was  so  sincere  that  from  that 
time  until  his  death  he  was  my  devoted  friend. 
Without  him  I  could  not  have  accomplished  wiiat 
I  did  in  behalf  of  the  Aravipa  Apaches. 

Lieutenant  Royal  E.  Whitman,  belonging  to 
the  garrison,  had  taken  a  great  interest  in  these 
Apaches  and  had  written  to  the  Indian  bureau  at 
Washington  much  of  their  story,  ill  treatment,  and 
suffering.  His  story  was  substantially  that  the 
inhabitants  of  Arizona,  both  Americans  and  Mexi 
cans,  had  falsely  accused  Eskimenzeen  and  his 
followers.  They  had  been  misrepresented,  he  said, 
as  guilty  of  various  robberies  and  murders  which 
had  been  perpetrated  by  others  at  considerable 
distance  from  Old  Camp  Grant.  The  crime  of 
horse-stealing,  in  particular,  had  been  charged 
against  them,  and  the  young  chief,  Eskimenzeen, 
was  declared  to  be  the  worst  of  his  race. 

The  feeling  against  Indians  at  Tucson  and 
round  about,  especially  on  the  Mexican  border, 
had  become  so  intense  under  current  rumors  that 
a  volunteer  force  of  some  two  hundred  or  more, 
consisting  of  Mexicans,  with  a  sprinkling  of  Ameri 
cans,  had  been  organized.  They  marched  out  from 
Tucson  and  arrived,  as  they  had  planned,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Aravipa  Canyon  just  before  the 
break  of  day.  The  Indians  had  had  one  of  their 
characteristic  feasts  and  dances.  In  the  dance  the 


150          MY   LIFE   AND   PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Indian  men  had  separated  from  their  women  and 
children,  and,  as  was  their  custom,  had  lain  down 
to  sleep  on  the  dancing  ground.  At  dawn  the 
Tucson  contingent  had  come  upon  them,  firing  into 
the  bivouac  of  the  men  and  of  their  families  simul 
taneously.  Many  women  and  children  were  killed 
and  more  were  wounded.  The  men  suffered  from 
the  attack,  but  not  so  much  as  their  families,  as 
they  ran  quickly  to  shelter,  and  with  the  few  arms 
that  they  could  seize  upon  began  to  return  the  fire. 
The  Indians  scattered  and  the  affray  was  soon 
over.  In  spite  of  the  excuses  given  for  it,  the 
American  part  of  the  force  was  much  ashamed  of 
the  outrageous  massacre  which  had  taken  place. 

Lieutenant  Whitman  was  unsparing  in  his 
comments  and  reports,  and  implied  that  the  gov 
ernor,  and  even  the  department  commander  and 
many  of  his  officers,  sympathized  with  the  attack 
ing  party.  The  little  boys  and  girls,  some  wounded 
and  some  unhurt,  were  carried  off  by  the  Mexican 
families  and  distributed  to  households,  many  in 
places  far  beyond  the  limits  of  Arizona.  It  was 
these  children  that  the  governor  and  others  prom 
ised  me  should  be  brought  back  by  the  Mexicans 
on  the  day  which  I  had  appointed. 

After  making  all  the  preliminary  arrangements 
for  a  great  council  to  be  held  soon  near  Aravipa 
Canyon,  to  which  wrere  invited  all  the  Indians  I 
have  named  and  the  Tontos  besides,  I  set  out  for 
Prescott  to  deliver  my  letters  from  the  division 
commander  and  the  President  to  General  Crook, 
who  was  in  command  over  the  territories  of  Ari 
zona  and  New  Mexico. 


CHAPTER  X. 

MEETING  GENERAL  CROOK  — AN  IMPORTANT  COUNCIL  — IN 
DIANS  PLEADING  FOR  THE  RETURN  OF  THEIR  CHIL 
DREN—HOW  A  MOMENTOUS  QUESTION 
WAS  DECIDED. 

A  Great  Indian  Fighter  —  General  Crook's  Attitude  Toward  the  In 
dians —  Roads  Infested  by  Hostiles  —  The  White  Flag  —  Hungry 
and  Tired  of  Fighting  —  Lieutenant  Ebstein's  Experience  —  Re 
sults  of  Kind  Treatment  —  Dress  and  Ornaments  of  the  Apaches 

—  Endurance  and  Speed  of  Indian  Runners  —  A  Wonderful  Journey 
on  Foot  —  Gathering  of  the  Apaches  —  A  Council  Made  up  of  Hos 
tile  Factions  —  Anxious  Hours  —  Indians  Present  their  Grievances 

—  How  I  Matured  my  Plans  —  Praying  for  Guidance  —  A  Wonder 
ful  Scene  —  Return  of  Captive  Indian  Children  to  their  Relatives. 

AT  Prescott  General  Crook  invited  me  to 
share  a  room  in  his  house.  Mrs.  Crook  long 
before  this,  with  her  brother,  had  joined 
him.  The  visit  afforded  me  an  opportunity  to  be 
come  better  acquainted  with  the  man  who  was 
called  the  greatest  Indian  fighter  in  our  army.  I 
had  known  him  at  West  Point,  but  as  he  was  two 
years  ahead  of  me  in  that  institution  we  had  but  a 
casual  acquaintance.  His  reputation  as  a  division 
and  corps  commander  during  the  Civil  War  was 
well  known  to  us  all,  and  on  account  of  his  ex 
traordinary  merit  General  Grant  had  him  pro 
moted  from  a  lieutenant-colonel  to  a  brigadier- 
general  in  the  regular  army. 

Crook  was  a  peculiar  man.  He  was  six  feet  in 
height,  never  fleshy,  of  very  light  complexion,  with 
light  hair,  wearing  when  I  saw  him  a  thin 


152          MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

moustache.  He  was  even  more  reticent  than  Gen 
eral  Grant,  carefully  keeping  all  his  plans  and 
thoughts  to  himself.  He  was  very  temperate  in 
eating  and  drinking,  and  at  the  time  I  saw  him  he 
was  so  strong  and  muscular  that  he  appeared  never 
to  be  troubled  with  fatigue.  He  was  indeed  a  favor 
ite  with  the  Indians,  and  though  terrible  in  his  se 
verity  when  they  broke  out  and  made  war,  and 
perhaps  at  all  times  distrustful  of  them,  yet  he 
believed  in  keeping  his  word  with  an  Indian  as 
sacredly  as  with  a  white  man,  and  in  all  his  deal 
ings  with  them  he  was  uniformly  just  and  kind. 

The  general  had  that  art  which  some  men  pos 
sess  of  saying  very  little  to  you  in  conversation, 
being  at  the  same  time  such  an  attentive  listener 
that  one  was  unconsciously  drawn  out  in  discourse. 
The  time  passed  pleasantly  and  swiftly.  It  was  a 
delight  to  a  fellow-officer  to  find  himself  at  his 
table,  particularly  when  his  genial  wife  presided  at 
the  head  of  it. 

Here  I  met  Lieutenant  Frederick  E.  Ebstein 
of  the  Twenty-first  Infantry.  He  had  been  sent 
by  General  Crook,  at  the  request  of  the  Indian 
bureau,  to  take  command  at  an  Indian  station  or 
gathering  called  "  Date  Creek."  During  my  stay 
at  Prescott  I  paid  him  a  visit. 

A  letter  just  received  from  Ebstein  tells  some 
thing  about  the  Indians  under  his  charge,  and  how 
interested  he  was  in  their  welfare.  They  were 
Apache-Yumas  and  Apache-Mo j a ves,  numbering 
about  six  hundred  and  fifty  souls,  and  inhabiting 
the  country  lying  east  of  the  Colorado  River 
agency.  They  were  not  true  Apaches,  but  offshoots 


AMOXG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  153 

from  the  Yumas  and  Mojaves  who  had  not  gone  on 
reservations  with  the  remainder  of  their  people, 
but  went  to  the  mountains  instead.  They  lived  as 
best  they  could  on  the  country,  getting  a  sort  of 
subsistence  from  incursions  into  neighboring  set 
tlements  and  attacks  upon  wagon  trains  which 
traversed  the  roads  from  the  Colorado  River  to 
Prescott.  They  assumed  the  name  " Apache." 
The  two  people  kept  up  distinct  tribal  organiza 
tions,  having,  however,  much  intermarried,  and 
both  spoke  the  same  language. 

When  Ebstein  went  to  his  post  in  1869  these 
Indians,  being  hostile,  made  the  roads  and  the 
vicinity  of  the  post  so  unsafe  for  individual 
travelers,  or  small  unescorted  wagon  trains,  that 
the  troops  were  constantly  engaged  in  scouting 
for  and  fighting  with  them.  In  1870  a  small 
party  of  them  approached  the  post  with  a  white 
flag  and  said  they  were  hungry  and  tired  of 
fighting  and  wanted  to  come  in.  A  few  days  later 
six  hundred  and  fifty  of  them,  including  men, 
women,  and  children,  came  in  and  camped  about  a 
mile  from  the  soldiers  near  the  Date  Creek  bottom. 
"  Then  it  was/'  writes  Ebstein,  "I  took  charge 
under  orders  from  the  department  commander  and 
afterward  issued  daily  one  pound  of  beef  and  one 
pound  of  flour  to  each  Indian." 

Ebstein  encouraged  the  Indians  to  begin  work, 
paying  them  by  additional  issues  of  flour.  The 
women  supplied  the  military  post  with  fuel ;  they 
gathered  wood  in  the  canyons,  sometimes  miles 
away,  bringing  it  in  on  their  backs.  For  each  load 
so  delivered  one  quart  of  flour  was  given.  For 
10 


154  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

clothing  they  mainly  depended  upon  the  skins  of 
deer  which  they  killed,  and  upon  the  cast-off  uni 
forms  of  officers  and  soldiers.  Ebstein  says:  "  I 
never  had  a  cent  of  money  for  the  use  of  these 
Indians  until  you  (General  Howard)  came  to  the 
post  in  1872  and  gave  me,  upon  my  request,  fifty 
dollars  for  the  purchase  of  garden  seeds.'7  I  also 
authorized  an  increase  in  the  rations  by  adding 
some  coffee,  beans,  and  soap.  That  helped  out 
materially.  The  Indians  now  began  gardening  in 
a  primitive  way,  and  were  sufficiently  successful 
the  first  year  to  encourage  them  to  continue  plant 
ing.  Ebstein  remarks:  "  I  remember  with  what 
pride  they  presented  me  with  some  of  the  first 
melons  raised  by  them." 

The  clothing  of  the  men  in  the  summer  time 
consisted  of  a  breech-clout  of  unbleached  muslin, 
but  after  coming  to  the  post  they  picked  up  sol 
diers'  discarded  uniforms  and  blankets,  which  they 
freely  used  for  dress.  The  women  wore  a  pictur 
esque  short  skirt  made  of  successive  narrow  strips 
of  bark  of  trees  intertwined  with  red  flannel.  This 
skirt  extended  to  the  knee.  They  wore  leggings  of 
deer-skin,  often  fancifully  trimmed  with  bead- 
work,  and  also  moccasins.  The  body  from  the 
waist  up  was  nude  except  for  a  deer-skin  apron 
just  under  the  breast,  held  by  a  string  of  beads, 
or  bones  of  birds  threaded  on  a  cord  about  the 
neck.  In  cold  weather  a  Navajo  blanket  was 
drawn  over  the  shoulders,  the  older  women  using 
a  gray  army  blanket.  Ornaments  of  brass,  silver, 
and  shells  in  the  shape  of  necklaces,  finger-  and 
ear-rings,  were  common.  Married  women  had  a 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  155 

straight  piece  of  sharpened  bone  piercing  the  flesh 
just  under  the  lower  lip.  Their  hair  was  combed 
out  straight,  left  unbraided,  and  banged  across  the 
forehead  just  above  the  eyes.  Men  tied  their  hair 
into  a  sort  of  queue  with  pieces  of  red  flannel. 
Frequently  the  queue  was  braided.  In  summer 
the  men  were  accustomed  to  braid  their  hair  close 
to  their  head  and  plaster  it  with  mud.  They  had 
an  idea  that  the  hardened  mud  kept  their  heads 
cool. 

Lieutenant  Ebstein  regards  these  Indians  as 
fine  specimens  physically  of  their  race.  They  ex 
celled  as  runners,  "  being  able  to  go  on  a  dogtrot 
all  day."  Once  an  Indian  brought  Ebstein  a  mes 
sage  from  the  River  agency  a  hundred  miles  dis 
tant,  completing  the  journey  between  sunrise  of 
one  day  and  noon  of  the  next.  When  young,  the 
girls  were  comely,  but  aged  rapidly  after  marriage. 
Among  them  strict  chastity  was  the  rule. 

At  last  my  party  turned  back  from  Prescott, 
this  time  being  accompanied  by  General  Crook  and 
some  of  his  officers,  and  on  the  21st  of  May  we  were 
again  with  the  garrison  at  Old  Camp  Grant.  It 
was  on  this  day  that  we  succeeded  in  bringing 
together  in  the  broad  shady  valley  the  delegations 
from  the  various  tribes  of  Indians  already  named. 
The  Aravipas  were  largely  represented.  Some  of 
the  Tontos  put  in  an  appearance,  and  the  northern 
bands  were  early  on  hand.  There  were  many 
Pimas  and  Papagoes.  The  Mexican  residents  who 
had  captured  and  still  held  the  Apache  children 
were  induced  to  come  bringing  the  children  with 
them.  There  were  also  present  a  large  number  of 


156  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

white  men  who  had  been  more  or  less  emancipated 
from  the  restraints  of  civilization,  and  who  par 
ticularly  enjoyed  raids  against  Indians  wherever 
assembled.  Here  came  the  civil  functionaries  of 
the  territory,  including  the  governor.  The  com 
missioned  officers  from  the  neighboring  garrison 
also  honored  the  occasion  by  their  presence.  Prob 
ably  there  was  never  an  assembly  of  men  more 
thoroughly  made  up  of  hostile  factions  who  had 
all  their  lives  been  more  or  less  at  war  one  with 
another. 

We  had  for  interpreters  the  superb  Louis  of 
the  Pimas,  the  singular-looking  Concepcion  of  the 
Aravipas,  and  Mr.  Cook,  the  Christian  teacher, 
whom  I  could  use  as  a  chaplain  or  as  a  faithful 
adviser.  In  a  beautiful  glen-like  spot,  on  ground 
a  little  above  the  river  bottom,  the  remarkable 
council  came  together.  A  few  chairs,  some  rough 
benches  and  camp  stools,  with  small  logs  drawn 
together  in  regular  arrangement,  gave  the  dignity 
of  order  to  the  occasion.  Indians  as  well  as  Ameri 
cans  always  desired  to  have  councils  conducted 
with  proper  formalities.  They  choose  somebody 
to  speak  for  them,  usually  a  chief,  who,  though  he 
spoke  in  the  first  person,  always  meant  to  embrace 
in  it  all  his  tribe  or  band. 

On  this  occasion  we  had  to  wait  some  time  for 
Eskimenzeen  and  his  people  to  assemble.  Like 
many  consequential  white  people  the  Indians 
seemed  to  fancy  that  it  added  to  their  importance 
to  come  late  to  church  or  to  council.  That  day  all 
parties  became  anxious  while  waiting  lest  there 
should  be  trouble,  but  at  last  the  Aravipas,  led  by 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  157 

their  chief,  filed  into  their  place.  The  chief  was 
not  at  all  prepossessing;  he  stammered  in  his 
speech,  and  was  inordinately  proud,  though  he 
exercised  a  fierce  leadership  over  his  tribe.  That 
day  and  the  next  all  parties  were  listened  to  pa 
tiently  and  attentively. 

The  Indians  presented  their  grievances.  Sev 
eral  of  them,  after  Eskimenzeen,  made  speeches. 
They  pleaded  for  the  return  of  their  children. 
Most  of  the  parents  were  dead,  but  the  relatives 
wanted  them  back.  The  Mexicans  then  told  how 
much  they  were  attached  to  the  children  whom  they 
had  carried  away.  They  said  they  were  kind  to 
them,  and  were  bringing  them  up  well  in  Christian 
families.  The  governor  gave  us  his  views,  which 
agreed  with  those  of  the  Mexicans,  and  the  district 
attorney  from  Tucson  explained  what  was  the  law. 

Before  dismissing  the  council  the  second  day, 
I  told  them  that  my  decision  would  be  to  return  the 
children  to  their  relatives.  Against  this,  however, 
the  district  attorney  made  such  strong  objections 
and  gave  so  many  reasons  that  I  thought  it  better 
to  reserve  final  action  for  a  meeting  on  the  morning 
of  the  23d  of  May. 

The  Aravipas  went  off  six  miles  to  their 
bivouac,  as  they  did  every  night,  into  a  narrow 
canyon  very  defensible  against  attack.  The  others 
were  grouped  here  and  there  where  they  could  talk 
together,  prepare  their  food,  and  sleep  comfort 
ably.  The  Pimas,  with  Mr.  Cook  amongst  them, 
selected  a  pleasant  grass  plot  near  a  group  of  trees, 
and  there  they  sat  together  and  talked  over  the 
doings  of  the  day  until  sleep  overcame  them. 


158  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

That  evening  I  went  over  to  their  ground  and 
found  Mr.  Cook  already  sound  asleep  with  his  head 
pillowed  upon  his  saddle  and  his  horse  blanket 
under  him.  I  awakened  him  and  laid  before  him 
my  troubles,  and  then  said:  "  Mr.  Cook,  what 
would  you  do  if  you  were  in  my  place?  What 
would  }^ou  do  about  the  children?  ': 

He  answered  rather  gruffly:  "I  would  give 
them  back  to  the  Indians. ' '  I  said :  ' '  Few  of  their 
parents  are  living  and  the  Mexicans  seem  to  have 
taken  good  care  of  them."  "I  know  that,"  he 
answered,  "but  they  use  them  as  servants  — as 
slaves  —  and  the  children  have  relatives  among  the 
Aravipas.  They  were  carried  off  by  force,  some 
of  them  badly  wounded.  It  is  right  to  give  them 
back,  and  I  would  do  it." 

After  I  left  him  to  resume  his  sleep,  I  said  to 
myself:  "But  that  will  not  bring  peace  among 
the  tribes."  I  then  wandered  far  away  from  the 
bivouacs  and  sat  down  upon  a  log.  Here  the  whole 
subject  was  carefully  thought  over,  and,  as  I  have 
been  accustomed  in  all  emergencies,  I  earnestly 
prayed  for  help  and  guidance.  After  that  I  lay 
down  and  fell  into  a  sound  sleep. 

The  rising  sun  shining  across  the  bright  water 
and  through  the  beautiful  canyon  awakened  me, 
and  instantly  I  realized  that  I  had  a  matured  plan 
of  settlement  in  my  mind.  Just  as  soon  as  I  could 
wash  my  face  and  adjust  my  clothing,  I  walked  to 
the  commanding  officer's  quarters.  His  wife,  Mrs. 
Crittenden,  met  me  at  the  door,  and  I  asked  her  if 
she  knew  of  a  woman  in  the  whole  garrison  whom 
I  could  employ  to  take  care  of  some  Apache  chil- 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  161 

dren.  I  wanted  one  who  would  be  kind  and  patient, 
and  one  on  whom  I  could  depend  to  carry  out  in 
structions.  Mrs.  Crittenden  thought  a  moment 
and  then  said :  "  Yes,  I  know  of  one,  Mrs.  —  — , 
the  wife  of  a  sergeant,  who  himself  is  a  good 
soldier.  She  has  an  invalid  daughter  of  whom  she 
has  taken  the  most  tender  care,  and  she  is  a  woman 
of  infinite  patience. ' '  I  declared  at  once  that  this 
was  the  woman  I  wanted.  After  I  had  found  her 
and  her  husband  at  their  tent  I  was  not  long  in 
making  arrangements. 

To  the  governor  and  General  Crook  my  course 
had  not  seemed  wise,  and  the  district  attorney  was 
outspoken  in  his  opposition  to  any  peace  policy. 
The  Indians  were  restless  and  could  see  no  good 
likely  to  come  out  of  my  long  talks.  But  they  all 
came  together,  as  they  had  promised  the  evening 
before,  and  I  sat  for  a  while  hearing  over  again  the 
pleas  already  made  —  pleas  which  the  interpreters 
were  trying  to  make  plain  in  different  tongues. 
At  last  I  arose  and  stood  before  them,  and  in  my 
earnestness  began  to  speak  so  rapidly  that  nobody 
could  interpret  my  words.  Most  of  the  Indians, 
however,  seemed  to  understand  what  I  said.  This 
was  the  substance  of  the  speech : 

"  Yesterday  I  decided  that  it  was  right  to  re 
turn  the  children  to  the  parents  and  relatives  of 
their  tribe.  From  this  decision  the  district  attor 
ney  has  made  an  appeal  and  wants  the  matter 
referred  to  "Washington.  I  have  determined  to 
listen  to  his  appeal.  His  superior  authority  is 
vested  in  the  United  States  Attorney-General; 
mine  is  in  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior.  They 


162  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

two  have  a  common  head,  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  General  U.  S.  Grant.  He  only  can 
decide  this  matter.  Now,  I  will  take  the  children 
and  place  them  at  the  agency  under  the  care  of  Mrs. 

,  a  good  Catholic  woman,  who  will  care  for 

them  kindly  and  permit  Mexican  friends  to  visit 
them  during  the  time  of  their  detention,  and  also 
permit  their  Apache  relatives  to  come  and  see 
them.  This  detention  will  continue  until  the  whole 
case  is  laid  before  the  President  himself  and  de 
cision  had  thereon." 

The  district  attorney  then  sprang  to  his  feet 
and  said :  "  We  wish  to  keep  the  children  and  will 
give  bonds  to  bring  them  forward  according  to  the 
President's  decision."  I  instantly  answered: 
"  No  bonds  are  necessary.  General  Crook,  with 
his  army  and  authority,  will  see  to  it  that  every 
thing  is  carried  out  to  the  letter  as  I  have  decided. ' ' 

Thereupon  a  wonderful  scene  followed.  The 
Indians  of  different  tribes  doubly  embraced  each 
other  —Apache  and  Pima,  Papago  and  Mojave  — 
and  even  the  Mexicans  participated  in  the  joy  that 
became  universal.  I  said  to  myself,  "  Surely  the 
Lord  is  with  us. ' ' 

In  due  time  our  differences  were  laid  before 
President  Grant,  and  I  need  hardly  say  that  he 
sustained  me  in  my  decision  and  that  the  children 
were  returned  to  their  relatives. 


CHAPTER  XL 

SELECTING    A    DELEGATION    OF    WILD    APACHES    TO    VISIT 

WASHINGTON  —  GREAT  FEAR  OF  THE  JOURNEY  - 

CALLING  UPON  THE  PRESIDENT. 

Close  of  the  Great  Council  —  A  Visit  from  Tribe  to  Tribe  —  Midnight 
Visit  to  an  Indian  Camp  —  A  Rough  March  —  Arranging  Details 
of  the  Journey  to  Washington  —  Getting  the  Party  Together  — 
Parting  Scenes  between  Chiefs  and  their  Families  —  First  Lesson 
in  the  Use  of  Knives,  Forks,  and  Spoons  —  Trust  Begets  Trust  — 
Loud  Murmurs  in  a  Discontented  Camp  —  First  Glimpse  of  a  Rail 
road  —  Indian  Amazement  and  Curiosity  —  First  Ride  in  the  Cars 
—  Crouching  Upon  the  Floor  in  Abject  Terror  —  Calling  Upon  the 
President  —  Opening  their  Hearts  to  Him. 

AFTER  the  close  of  the  great  council  I  deter 
mined  to  go  from  tribe  to  tribe,  according 
to  my  instructions,  and,  if  possible,  recon 
cile  all  differences.  Here  at  Camp  Grant  I  began 
to  select  members  of  various  bands  to  take  with 
me  to  Washington.  The  object  of  these  east 
ern  visits  was  twofold :  first,  to  cement  the  ties  of 
good  will,  and,  second,  to  show  to  them  the  hope 
lessness  of  resisting  a  government  as  powerful  as 
ours.  That  very  night  I  made  a  midnight  visit  to 
Eskimenzeen's  convenient  and  safe  lodging-place 
in  the  narrow  canyon.  The  shrill  savage  cry  that 
met  my  small  party  as  we  approached  was  fright 
ful  to  unaccustomed  ears,  but  Concepcion,  throw 
ing  loud  "  back  talk  "  to  the  clamor,  conducted  me 
safely  to  the  chief's  lodge. 

The  Indians  had  never  seen  a  railway  or  a  tele 
graph,  and  at  first  I  could  not  get  one  of  them  to 


164  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

go.  The  risk  seemed  too  great.  It  was  here  that 
Santo  began  to  show  his  friendship  for,  and  his 
great  confidence  in  me.  He  arose,  his  face  animated 
by  a  new  resolve  as  he  spoke  to  the  interpreter  and 
told  him  to  tell  me  that  he,  Santo,  old  as  he  was, 
would  trust  himself  in  my  hands  and  would  go  with 
me  to  Washington.  He  made  a  capital  delegate 
for  the  Aravipas. 

A  little  later  two  Pimas,  Louis  and  Antonito, 
one  Papago  chief  named  Ascencion,  two  Date 
Creek  Indians  called  in  English  Charlie  and  Jose, 
Mr.  Cook,  the  Pima  teacher,  and  Concepcion, 
joined  Santo  and  constituted  the  party  that  was  to 
leave  Old  Camp  Grant  for  the  White  Mountains 
(Sierra  Blancas),  which  lay  near  the  eastern 
borders  of  Arizona.  We  set  out  on  the  morning  of 
the  25th  of  May. 

By  short  journeys  I  accomplished  the  roughest 
march  that  I  ever  undertook,  of  a  hundred  miles 
over  jagged  hills,  rocky  trails,  and  through  deep 
canyons  furrowed  with  stony  cross-gulleys.  True, 
Santo,  placing  a  flinty  specimen  on  the  ground, 
had  promised  that  the  mountains  would  now  be 
level  and  the  canyons  filled  up,  but  his  prophecy 
for  that  portion  of  Arizona  between  Camp  Grant 
and  Camp  Apache  had  not  yet  been  fulfilled. 
Camp  Apache  was  in  an  opening  in  the  forest, 
in  as  beautiful  a  stretch  of  country  as  one  can  well 
depict.  The  barracks  and  houses  and  sutler 's  store, 
dotting  the  green  plateau,  were  built  of  rough  logs 
and  newly-sawn  lumber.  It  was  truly  a  pretty  vil 
lage  in  the  wilderness,  and  most  acceptable  to  us 
weary  travelers. 


AMONG  OUK  HOSTILE  INDIANS  165 

Here  I  found  three  bands  of  Indians  sometimes 
called  the  "  Sierra  Blancas,"  but  usually  known  as 
White  Mountain  Apaches.  After  a  visit  to  each 
band  and  a  consideration  of  their  special  com 
plaints—for  each  had  some  trouble  to  present— I 
persuaded  them  to  add  a  representative  to  our 
delegation.  We  agreed  that  the  principal  chief 
should  go  and  represent  his  band.  The  eldest  was 
Es-kel-te-ce-la,  who  enjoyed  the  reputation  of  lov 
ing  peace.  The  next,  and  the  one  best  known  to 
the  whites,  was  one-eyed  Meguil,  who  had  been  a 
famous  wrarrior,  and  the  other,  who  constantly 
longed  for  civilized  life,  was  Pedro. 

From  Camp  Apache  I  made  several  vain  at 
tempts  to  communicate  with  the  Chiricahuas,  who 
were  the  real  warriors  to  be  pacified.  While  wait 
ing  for  scouts  and  messengers  to  go  and  come  I 
was  entertained  in  the  most  hospitable  way  by 
Major  Dallas,  who  commanded  the  garrison;  but 
in  time  the  messengers  returned,  having  been  un 
successful,  and  I  decided  to  set  out  for  the  long 
journey  eastward  through  New  Mexico. 

The  parting  scenes  between  the  chiefs  and  their 
families  were  affecting.  Indians  from  the  three 
bands  had  come  up  to  Camp  Apache  for  rations. 
They  were  seated  on  the  ground  upon  a  gentle 
grassy  slope  in  the  forest  opening,  waiting,  as 
multitudes  have  ever  done,  for  the  distribution  of 
bread.  The  Indians  were  troubled  and  manifested 
great  apprehension,  which  showed  itself  often  in 
tears  over  the  last  adieus.  Old  Es-kel-te-ce-la 
made  me  look  into  his  large  clear  eyes  to  assure 
me  that  there  was  no  badness  in  him,  then  took 


166  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

me  by  the  hand  and  led  me  to  his  wife  and  daughter, 
and  made  me,  by  Concepcion's  help,  explain  and 
promise  that  the  journey  would  surely  be  safe  and 
that  I  would  bring  them  back.  Santo,  who  was 
now  the  best  lieutenant  I  had,  praised  me  over  and 
over  again  to  the  children  of  Meguil  and  Pedro, 
and  so  reassured  their  troubled  hearts.  It  was  no 
light  thing  —  this  going  to  Washington ! 

My  aged  Bowdoin  professor,  Cleveland,  a 
chemist  of  world-wide  reputation,  in  1845,  saw  at 
Brunswick,  Maine,  the  first  railway  carriage  which 
passed  through  that  city.  His  eyes  sparkled 
behind  his  slightly-colored  glasses  and  his  face 
wrinkled  into  smiles  at  the  novel  sight,  but  he 
shook  his  head  and  said:  "  I  am  too  old;  I'll  not 
risk  it ! ':  So  never  would  he  enter  a  railway  coach, 
but  always  journeyed,  when  occasion  required  it, 
in  his  own  chaise  from  Brunswick  to  Boston.  Just 
think  of  it!  What  was  the  professor's  risk  com 
pared  with  that  of  those  untutored  Indians  of  the 
Southwest  as  they  started  upon  their  first  trip  of 
three  thousand  miles  over  vast  regions  to  them 
unknown?  Their  fears  were  natural,  but  their 
confidence  in  a  white  man's  promise  of  a  safe  re 
turn  was  simply  marvelous. 

There  was  added  to  our  company  the  Indian 
superintendent  of  Arizona,  Major  Bendel.  His 
title  was  one  popularly  given  to  Indian  agents  and 
superintendents.  My  friend  Eev.  E.  P.  Smith 
had  gone  back  by  the  way  of  California.  The  In 
dian  party  of  ten,  Cook,  Bendel,  Wilkinson,  the 
drivers  of  the  ambulance  and  baggage  wagons,  and 
a  few  soldiers,  constituted  my  caravan.  For  our 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  167 

conveyance,  besides  a  few  saddle  horses,  we  had  a 
high-bowed  six-mule  wagon,  a  common  army  escort 
carriage,  and  our  six-mule  ambulance. 

When  we  rode  out  of  Camp  Apache  there  was 
considerable  style  in  our  improvised  chariots  with 
Indian  outriders.  June  1st  we  made  a  fair  march, 
-  all  the  day  in  a  continuous  forest.  I  called  a 
halt  before  the  sun  had  disappeared  as  we  were 
emerging  into  our  first  glade-opening. 

"Apache  chiefs  must  not  work!  "  so  said  half- 
blind  Meguil  while  his  evil-looking  eye  rested  upon 
me  as  I  began  to  gather  firewood.  "  We  must  all 
work!  "  I  said  through  Concepcion,  repeating  the 
words  for  Meguil 's  benefit.  "  Take  the  hatchet, 
Meguil,  and  help  me ;  we  must  all  work ! ':  "Tat ah 
no  work — white  Tatahs  no  work,"  he  murmured,  as 
I  glanced  at  his  twinkling  eye.  "  I  am  as  big  a 
Tatah  as  you  are,"  I  laughingly  replied.  Appar 
ently  in  sport  he  joined  me  in  dragging  sticks  and 
bushes  to  the  camp  fire.  Soon  all  the  rest  of  the 
party  were  doing  the  same.  That  was  our  first 
work  lesson.  It  was  not  long  before  the  Indians 
would  spring  forward  and  anticipate  me  in  such 
chores. 

At  the  table  I  played  the  host.  We  had  a  square 
piece  of  canvas  stretched  on  the  ground,  and  a 
plate,  knife,  and  fork  were  placed  for  each  guest. 
Some  of  us  sat  cross-legged  like  tailors,  some  of 
the  Indians  leaned  on  elbow  like  the  disciples  of 
old,  while  some  squatted  as  they  were  wont  to  do 
at  council  fires.  After  the  food  had  been  put  on 
the  canvas  it  was  hard  to  resist  our  appetites  until 
a  short  grace  had  been  said,  but  we  soon  learned. 


168  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

The  preliminary  reverent  uncovering  of  the  heads 
became  a  potent  sign.  It  was  very  awkward  at 
first  for  the  Indians  to  use  those  knives,  forks,  and 
spoons.  Pedro,  who  acquired  polite  manners 
quickly,  speared  bread  with  his  fork  and  took 
meat  with  his  fingers,  while  Louis,  who  spoke  four 
languages  and  whose  shining  braids  hung  below 
his  knees,  and  the  determined  Santo,  wedded  to  old 
habits,  required  considerable  extension  of  the  meal 
hour  to  do  things  rightly  and  to  satisfy  hunger. 

My  Sabbath  restraint  was  at  first  as  irksome 
to  the  Apaches  as  to  children.  At  the  end  of  the 
first  day,  it  being  Saturday,  I  halted  and  rested 
till  Monday.  Sunday  morning  Meguil  mounted 
his  pony  and  said  to  me :  "  Meguil  go  —  his  horse 
-  come  back ! '  Mr.  Cook  shook  his  head  doubt 
fully  as  he  looked  at  his  receding  figure,  and  Louis 
said:  "  'No  more  Meguil! >:  But  three  days  later, 
after  we  had  left  the  forest  and  were  traversing  a 
treeless  wilderness,  we  caught  sight  of  a  couple  of 
horsemen  off  to  our  left  gracefully  loping  toward 
us.  I  was  glad  to  hear  Louis'  Spanish  as  he 
pointed  and  said:  "He  aqid,  Apache  Meguil !r 
It  was  he,  true  to  his  word,  and  his  return  was  an 
earnest  of  the  confidence  that  I  had  desired  to 
establish  between  us  all.  Trust  begets  trust. 

By  another  Sabbath  we  had  made  good  prog 
ress.  That  was  a  day  to  be  remembered.  We  were 
near  the  Eio  Puerco.  A  small  abandoned  hut,  the 
only  sign  of  past  habitation  in  the  neighborhood, 
was  quickly  freed  from  the  rubbish  and  dirt  left 
by  former  occupants;  a  few  sticks,  after  much 
search,  were  found  for  firewood,  and  our  provisions 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  169 

were  unpacked  and  brought  in.  Soon,  however, 
the  drivers  of  our  wagons  rushed  to  the  door  and 
cried  out  excitedly:  "  The  water  of  the  river  is 
bad,  the  animals  won't  drink  it!  r  Our  white  men 
from  the  very  first  were  vexed  with  me  for  halting 
just  there.  Was  not  the  Rio  Grande  only  a  few 
miles  ahead?  Wasn't  there  a  ferry,  and  a  town 
just  beyond  the  river? 

I  understood  the  cause  of  their  dissatisfaction. 
The  place  was  full  of  liquor  saloons  and  I  dreaded 
more  than  I  can  tell  two  nights  and  a  day  with  such 
extraordinary  temptations  for  our  rough  drivers, 
soldiers,  and  Indians.  I  persisted  in  remaining 
at  the  Rio  Puerco.  The  water  once  drawn  in  pails 
I  believed  would  speedily  settle  and  become  clear, 
but  in  this  I  was  mistaken,  and  amid  murmurs  of 
growing  discontent  we  passed  a  hard  night.  Sun 
day  morning  the  pails  filled  at  evening  contained 
the  same  clayey  porridge;  nobody  could  drink  it. 
The  thirsty  horses  pawed  the  brink  of  the  river 
and  caught  up  the  hateful  water  in  their  lips,  and, 
without  swallowing,  raised  their  noses  high  in  air ; 
thus  they  made  their  indignant  protest  against 
such  stuff.  But  just  as  necessity  appeared  to  com 
pel  a  resumption  of  the  march,  Concepcion  and 
Antonito,  the  young  Pima  chief,  ran  to  me  with 
good  news.  Wandering  over  the  ledge  not  a  hun 
dred  yards  away  they  had  found  a  natural  basin 
of  clear,  good  water.  My  heart  was  glad.  Our 
discontent  and  anxiety  vanished. 

That  day  we  had  a  brief  religious  service. 
Captain  Wilkinson  was  a  good  singer,  and  at  the 
close  of  the  exercises  he  sang  the  hymn  entitled 


170  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

"  The    Cleansing   Fountain."     This   is   the   last 
verse : 

"  When  we've  been  there  ten  thousand  years, 
Bright  shining  as  the  sun, 
We've  no  less  days  to  sing  God's  praise 
Than  when  we'd  first  begun." 

Pedro,  who  certainly  could  not  have  compre 
hended  the  words,  w^as  in  tears.  He  arose  from 
his  half-kneeling  posture,  went  straight  to  the 
captain,  folded  him  in  his  arms,  and  with  a  soft 
ened  voice  said :  "  Bueno!  Toueno!  *' 

On  this  Sabbath  at  the  Puerco,  Louis,  having 
been  drawn  into  a  dispute  with  some  of  our  party, 
after  a  time  became  fretful  and  impatient  and  then 
sulky.  For  this  conduct  Mr.  Cook  reproved  him 
with  severity.  At  this  Louis  became  angry.  No 
ticing  his  temper  I  called  the  young  man  to  me 
and  asked:  "  Why,  Louis,  what's  the  matter?'1 
He  replied:  "  I  am  going  back! ': 

"What  for!" 

"  Teacher  don't  treat  me  right.  He  insults  me ; 
he  says,  *  Louis  no  Christian. ' : 

Major  Bendel,  who  was  a  Jew,  inquired  into 
the  trouble  that  was  becoming  so  serious,  and  was 
able  to  adjust  all  matters  amicably.  Poor  Louis' 
contribution  to  Christian  progress  was  rather 
meager  and  doubtful.  Still,  it  was  something 
gained  for  an  Indian  to  feel  insulted  at  being 
called  "no  Christian." 

In  spite  of  the  attractions  ahead  there  was  con 
siderable  dread  of  the  great  obstacle  across  our 
path,  the  Bio  Grande.  One  of  the  most  vigorous 
of  my  West  Point  classmates  was  Lieutenant 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  171 

Davant  of  South  Carolina.  In  1855  he  attempted 
to  cross  this  river  on  horseback  and  was  carried 
off  by  the  swift  current  and  drowned.  Among 
army  officers  the  difficulties  of  the  passage  of  the 
Rio  Grande  at  high  water  were  proverbial.  Before 
our  approach  the  river  had  risen  over  its  banks 
and  was  as  swift  in  its  flow  as  the  Mississippi  in 
flood-time. 

We  came  to  the  western  shore  opposite  Albu 
querque.  The  Indians  were  full  of  wonderment 
and  gazed  up  and  down  the  fierce  waters.  Pres 
ently  they  caught  sight  of  a  large  flatboat  coming 
toward  us  from  a  point  farther  up  on  the  other 
bank.  The  boat  swept  past  us  oblique  to  the  cur 
rent,  but  held  by  strong  hands,  and,  at  last  strik 
ing  the  shore,  landed  far  below.  It  was  then 
dragged  by  ropes  back  to  us.  It  took  close  packing 
to  get  our  party,  wagons,  ambulance,  animals,  and 
all  else  on  board. 

"  Dismal  Jeems,"  tall,  lank,  and  somber,  had 
little  fancy  for  the  prospective  voyage.  One  of 
his  mules,  a  quiet,  handsome  little  creature,  he 
called  "Lucy."  When  she  was  on  the  road  and 
became  tired  she  would  put  her  ears  back  and  not 
pull  a  pound.  Two  or  three  times,  sitting  by 
Jeems'  side  and  noticing  that  he  could  not  reach 
her  with  the  whip,  I  tossed  some  pebbles  which  hit 
her  back,  an  action  that  Lucy  naturally  imputed 
to  the  driver.  When,  last  of  all,  I  stepped  upon 
the  flatboat  I  saw  Jeems  standing  near  Lucy's 
heels.  Never  for  one  moment  would  one  suspect 
trouble  from  this  quiet  little  mule,  so  demure  was 
she  with  her  upright  ears.  However,  at  just  the 
11 


172  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

last  push  from  shore,  nobody  could  tell  how,  two 
hind  feet  struck  poor  Jeems  in  his  stomach  and 
he  made  a  quick  somersault  into  the  water.  Jeems 
went  down  with  a  plunge,  but,  luckily,  on  the  land 
side,  so  that  coming  to  the  surface  he  was  caught 
and  lifted  to  the  boat,  where,  with  dripping  gar 
ments,  he  sputtered  aloud  with  terror  and  indigna 
tion.  The  Indians  were  not  yet  civilized  enough 
to  restrain  their  mirth.  Clapping  hands,  they  bent 
their  flexible  bodies  forward  and  back  and  laughed 
remorselessly,  saying :  "  Jon-dai-sy-ton-judah! " 
i.  e.,  "  Mule  very  bad! '  This  incident  added  an 
other  link  to  Dismal  Jeems'  chain  of  misfortunes. 
The  flatboat,  shooting  across  the  torrent,  brought 
up  against  an  island.  Here  we  had  to  disembark 
and  wade  to  the  eastern  shore.  Our  mules  wal 
lowed  in  the  muddy  bottom,  and  now  and  then 
sank  in  quicksands,  so  that  we  had  trouble  to  save 
them,  and  our  staunch  army  wagon  was  so  broken 
and  mired  that  it  had  to  be  abandoned. 

Sad  as  was  our  plight  when  we  came  into  camp 
above  the  town,  our  misfortunes  were  aggravated 
by  the  very  disaster  which  I  had  feared.  Some  of 
the  men  were  made  crazy  with  liquor,  but  to  my 
great  joy  the  Indians,  including  the  interpreter, 
kept  their  promise  and  did  not  drink. 

On  June  12th,  after  refitting — the  men  having 
become  reasonably  sober— we  took  the  road  again. 
At  Santa  Fe  we  finished  what  I  regarded  as  the 
first  important  division  of  the  journey,  and  so  I 
ordered  a  brief  rest  before  taking  the  stage  for 
Pueblo.  The  stay  was  too  long  for  Concepcion. 
Intolerable  thirst  for  strong  drink  overcame  his 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  173 

promise.  He  was  in  a  terrible  plight  and  passed 
from  spasm  to  spasm,  screaming,  crying,  and 
laughing  by  turns.  The  rapid  transitions  from 
maudlin  good  nature  to  fierce  anger,  and  vice  versa, 
terrific  and  ludicrous  as  they  were,  became  object 
lessons  to  the  Indians.  The  interpreter's  final 
phase  of  besotted  stupidity  was  a  relief  to  Meguil 
and  his  Indian  helpers,  who  had  constantly  watched 
and  held  him  till  the  drunken  sleep  came  on.  In 
time  we  neared  the  new  city  of  Pueblo.  The  In 
dians  had  greatly  enjoyed  the  jolting  journey  of 
two  hundred  miles  in  a  four-horse  stage.  None  of 
them  had  ever  passed  beyond  Santa  Fe,  and  only 
the  "  Sierra  "  Apaches  had  been  so  far. 

The  17th  of  June  we  suddenly  came  upon  the 
narrow-gauge  railroad  just  outside  of  the  city, 
which  had  been  only  recently  completed  to  that 
point.  I  enjoyed  the  Indians'  manifest  surprise. 
Hurriedly  leaving  the  stage  they  ran  to  the  railway 
and  sat  down  upon  the  strange  framework.  With 
great  curiosity  they  felt  of  the  cross-ties  and  fin 
gered  the  spikes  which  fastened  the  iron  rails. 
They  looked  long  and  wonderingly  at  the  freight 
and  cattle  cars,  which  were  standing  near,  and 
then,  like  children  surprised  with  new  gifts,  they 
clapped  their  hands  with  glee.  A  train  soon  backed 
down  to  take  us.  Our  party  slowly  filed  into  the 
small  coach  to  take  seats  two  and  two.  I  was 
astonished  at  the  evident  fear  of  the  Indians. 
They  crouched  in  abject  terror  upon  the  floor  be 
tween  the  high  backs  of  the  seats  and  covered  their 
dark  faces  with  their  hands. 

"What's  the  matter  now,  Es-kel-te-ce-la  ?  "  I 


174  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

asked.  The  interpreter  gave  me  the  old  man's 
affrighted  reply : 

"We've  said  we'll  go  with  you.  We've  given 
you  our  whole  hearts,  and  wre  '11  go  where  you  go ! ' : 

"  But  what  makes  them  hide  their  faces  and 
keep  so  quiet,  Concepcion^  " 

"  Why,  sir,  they  are  afraid!  " 

Their  terror  did  not  last  long.  After  a  few 
miles  of  safe  and  easy  riding  they  lifted  their  heads 
one  by  one  and  began  to  count  the  high  hills  and 
mountain  peaks.  The  first  fear  had  given  place 
to  other  emotions.  There  were  new  wonders  for 
them  as  towns  became  larger  and  more  frequent, 
and  the  variety  and  size  of  the  buildings  increased. 

Before  we  had  crossed  Colorado,  Meguil  told 
me  with  a  sigh  that  he  could  not  count  the  moun 
tains  any  longer,  but  must  rely  upon  me  to  get  him 
back. 

The  climax  of  surprise  was  reached  in  New 
York  City,  not  in  the  magnitude  of  the  metropolis 
nor  in  the  throngs  on  the  streets,  nor  in  the  magnifi 
cent  buildings,  nor  in  Central  Park,  whose  collec 
tions  of  natural  objects  delighted  them,  nor  in  the 
forest  of  shipping,  the  like  of  which  was  beyond 
their  dreams ;  no,  it  was  in  beholding  Meguil  clothed 
and  in  his  right  mind,  having  two  eyes,  the  lost  one 
having  been  so  restored  as  to  look  precisely  like 
the  other. 

In  Philadelphia  I  took  the  Indians  to  Fairmount 
Park,  to  Girard  College,  to  several  manufactories, 
and— what  delighted  them  especially— to  a  magic 
entertainment.  Everywhere  they  were  made  par 
ticularly  happy  by  the  cordiality  of  the  people.  I 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  175 

shall  never  forget  our  visit  to  the  Moyamensing 
Penitentiary.  The  Indians  walked  up  and  down 
the  great  galleries,  which  branch  out  like  the  spokes 
of  a  wheel;  as  they  sauntered  along,  stopping  to 
gaze  through  the  gratings,  they  were  filled  with 
compassion  for  the  inmates.  Before  leaving, 
Meguil  came  to  me  with  the  interpreter.  He  had 
a  solemn  look.  With  much  feeling  he  asked : 

"  Is  there  one  man  in  confinement  here  who  is 
innocent?  ?: 

"Why,  Meguil?" 

"  If  there  is  one  I  want  to  speak  to  him,  for  I 
was  once  a  prisoner  and  kept  a  whole  year,  in  a 
prison  like  this,  in  Santa  Fe.  I  was  innocent  of 
any  crime.  I  was  very  lonely  and  sad,  and  I  don't 
want  another  man  to  be  so  unhappy." 

In  Washington  nearly  two  weeks  were  spent  to 
good  purpose.  As  it  was  vacation  at  Howard  Uni 
versity  and  my  own  house  was  near  the  dormitories, 
it  occurred  to  me  to  use  the  latter  for  sleeping 
rooms  for  the  Apaches.  I  gave  the  Indians 
glimpses  of  curiosities  in  the  Capitol  and  in 
numerous  other  public  edifices.  By  appointment 
they  went  to  see  President  Grant,  accompanied  by 
the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  and  the  Commis 
sioner  of  Indian  Affairs.  To  them  they  opened 
their  hearts  in  set  speeches  and  received  pleasant 
rejoinders.  They  looked  through  the  navy  yard, 
and  the  arsenal,  where  the  large  guns  and  numerous 
small  arms  powerfully  impressed  them.  But  noth 
ing  imparted  richer  enjoyment  than  our  visit  to 
the  College  of  Deaf  Mutes.  The  bright,  active 
boys,  who  could  not  hear  a  sound,  at  once  estab- 


176  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

lished  sign  communications  with  the  Indians,  and 
the  Indians  rivaled  the  boys  in  the  variety  of  their 
imitations.  The  cat,  the  dog,  the  horse,  the  bear, 
and  other  animals,  tame  and  wild,  were  succes 
sively  characterized.  Again  and  again  the  Indians 
spoke  of  these  young  people  as  "  the  boys  who 
talked  with  their  hands  and  arms." 

All  the  Indians  of  my  party,  after  leaving 
Santa  Fe,  wore  the  white  man's  clothing  and  had 
made  wonderful  progress  in  the  ways  of  civilized 
life.  They  visited  my  family  freely  and  all  took 
their  meals  with  us;  but  I  am  sorry  to  say  that 
agents  from  Washington  were  secretly  sent  to  them 
and  they  were  offered  as  high  as  one  hundred  dol 
lars  apiece  if  they  would  only  leave  me  and  insist 
on  being  entertained  at  a  city  hotel.  Of  course 
this  was  a  bribe  and  a  decoy  to  have  them  visit  the 
lowest  places  in  Washington  and  subject  them 
selves  to  the  vilest  doings.  I  was  told  that  other 
Indian  delegations  had  been  dealt  with  successfully 
for  the  purposes  of  gain.  But  my  party,  thor 
oughly  loyal  to  me  and  keeping  rigidly  to  their 
promises,  stoutly  said:  "No,  wre  will  not  go! 
Apaches  stay  with  General  Howard. ' ' 


CHAPTER  XII. 

RETURN    OF    THE    APACHES    TO    THEIR    ARIZONA    HOMES  — 

I  SET  OUT  TO  FIND  THE  NOTORIOUS 

CHIEF,  COCHISE. 

Great  Assembly  of  Relatives  and  Friends  to  Meet  the  Returning  Braves 
—  Chief  Meguil  and  his  Glass  Eye  —  Some  Astonished  Indians  — 
Following  the  White  Man's  Ways  —  Determined  Efforts  to  Find 
Cochise  —  "  Snake,  General,  Snake !  "  —  Close  Call  from  a  Rattle 
snake —  Meeting  with  "Tom  Jeffords"  —  "He's  a  Bad  Egg"  — 
Agrees  to  Take  Me  to  the  Camp  of  Cochise  —  Starting  on  the 
Journey  —  A  Strange  and  Suspicious  Group  —  Threatened  by  Angry 
Miners  —  Adventure  with  a  Desperate  Prospector  —  Following  an 
Apache  Trail  —  Communicating  Signs  by  Smoke  —  Arrival  at  Co- 
chise's  Stronghold  —  Meeting  One  of  His  Wives. 

IN  keeping  with  General  Grant's  peace  policy, 
the  Dutch  Reform  Society  of  New  York  nomi 
nated  the  agents  in  Arizona.  Leaving  Wash 
ington  July  10th  on  our  homeward  journey  we  paid 
a  visit  to  that  society  in  the  metropolis.  One  sel 
dom  sees  an  assemblage  of  men  more  dignified 
and  impressive  than  were  those  who  gathered  in  a 
large  room  to  welcome  our  delegation.  When  the 
Indians  were  ushered  in  the  assembly  rose  en  masse 
to  receive  them.  Vincent  Colyer,  whom  they  knew, 
was  present,  and  it  greatly  relieved  their  embar 
rassment  to  meet  him.  Every  chief  was  encour 
aged  to  speak,  and  so  one  after  another  recited 
grievances  to  sympathetic  ears,  and  received  in 
response  such  comfort  and  cheer  as  loving  hearts 
could  suggest. 

In  the  evening  we  were  transferred  to  a  large 


178  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Presbyterian  church,  and  the  Indians  were  again 
asked  to  speak  and  to  tell  the  people  about  their 
condition  and  their  wants.  Though  addressing  a 
large  and  civilized  assemblage  for  the  first  time, 
and  through  interpreters,  these  rude  men  fresh 
from  savage  life  commanded  undivided  attention 
and  received  ringing  applause.  On  this  occasion 
Pedro,  every  day  growing  in  ideas,  said : 

"  You  have  schools,  churches,  places  where 
clothes  are  made,  houses  filled  with  wealth;  you 
have  wagons,  horses,  cars,  and  more  than  I  can 
speak  of.  We  have  nothing.  We  are  very  poor. 
I  have  been  thinking  hard.  We  had  long  ago  all 
the  land ;  the  Indians  were  once  as  one  man.  Now 
they  are  divided  and  the  white  men  have  all  the 
land  and  all  things.  Now  I  am  going  to  be  a  white 
man.  I  shall  wear  the  white  man's  clothes.  I 
shall  cook  and  eat  the  white  man's  food,  and  I  want 
my  children  to  go  to  school  and  learn  to  be  white 
men.  I  am  done." 

Each  Apache  followed  suit,  and  that  evening 
many  of  the  hearers  were  satisfied  that  the  seeds 
of  civilization  which  had  been  sowed  were  already 
springing  up  and  bearing  fruit. 

A  conservative  army  officer  present  at  this 
meeting  was  not  so  hopeful.  He  whispered  to  me : 
"  When  a  chief  returns  from  Washington  to  his 
tribe  his  Indians  do  not  follow  him.  They  declare 
that  he  has  been  bewitched,  or  had  '  bad  medicine/ 
and  they  do  not  believe  anything  he  tells  them." 
Doubtless  this  is  in  part  true.  It  requires  constant 
work  and  perennial  faith  to  produce  permanent 
results.  We  ought  not  to  expect  too  much  from  a 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  179 

chief  like  Meguil  or  Pedro,  returning  from  his 
surprises  and  new  convictions  to  the  tepee  and  its 
old  gypsy  ways,  where  roaming  is  more  attractive 
than  labor  and  light-hearted  indolence  preferable 
to  perplexing  thought.  All  good  effects  are  lost 
when  a  chief,  by  liquor  and  the  baits  of  passion,  is 
made  more  savage  than  before  in  consequence  of 
his  visits  to  us.  But  at  any  rate,  our  party  of 
Indians  was  carefully  guarded  against  such  draw 
backs. 

At  New  York  we  divided.  The  two  Pimas,  the 
Date  Creek  Indians  and  the  Papago  chief  went 
with  Major  Bendel  via  California.  The  other 
five  accompanied  me  through  Colorado  and  New 
Mexico,  pursuing  substantially  the  same  route  by 
which  we  came  —  the  railway  to  Pueblo,  stage  to 
Santa  Fe,  and  the  saddle  horses,  with  wagons  for 
baggage,  to  Camp  Apache.  I  took  Captain  J.  A. 
Sladen  this  time  as  an  aide,  and  also  my  eldest  son, 
Guy,  then  in  his  seventeenth  year  and  enjoying  a 
college  vacation. 

In  fulfillment  of  the  promises  made  at  Wash 
ington  by  the  Department  of  the  Interior,  I  was 
obliged  to  purchase  at  Santa  Fe  some  horses  and 
equipments  for  the  Indians.  When  we  passed  be 
yond  Santa  Fe  we  were  well  mounted,  and  we  had 
a  delightful  enlargement  of  our  company  in  the 
persons  of  Major  Pope,  the  Indian  superintendent 
of  New  Mexico,  his  good  wife,  and  the  Rev.  Dr. 
McFarland,  an  aged  missionary.  Without  hin 
drance  or  accident  we  went  on  some  two  hundred 
miles  to  Fort  Wingate,  located  on  the  border  of 
the  large  Navajo  reservation. 


180  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

The  Apaches  and  Navajos  had  long  been  hostile 
to  each  other  and  bad  feeling  existed  between  them. 
The  old  policy  of  government  officials  was  to  foster 
enmities  and  mutual  hatred  in  order  to  weaken  the 
Indian  tribes.  Having  a  different  conviction,  it 
was  the  burden  of  my  efforts  to  settle  all  the 
troubles  and  introduce  terms  of  peace  and  good 
will.  Hostile  relations  of  one  tribe  to  another  had 
kept  up  a  warlike  spirit,  and  their  internecine 
strifes  usually  brought  terror  and  disturbance  to 
white  settlements. 

As  I  had  arranged,  the  Navajo  leaders  were  on 
hand  at  Fort  Wingate  upon  our  arrival.  An  un 
foreseen  difficulty  resulted  because  neither  the 
Apaches  nor  the  Navajos  were  willing  to  make  the 
necessary  advances.  At  first  I  took  all  our  white 
people  with  me  and  went  to  the  place  appointed 
for  the  joint  council,  but  not  an  Indian  — Apache 
or  Navajo  — would  come.  So  much  for  Indian 
pride. 

Next  I  tried  the  experiment  of  seeing  the  hos 
tile  parties  separately  and  engaging  them  to  meet 
each  other  at  a  given  time  and  at  a  particular  spot, 
coming  up  simultaneously.  On  this  occasion  I 
went  again,  alone,  to  a  meeting-place  which  all  the 
Indians  could  see.  Then  I  beckoned  to  each  party 
to  come.  They  came  on  slowly,  solemnly,  arriving 
at  the  same  instant,  and  arranged  themselves  for  a 
talk.  The  Court  of  St.  James  could  not  have  been 
more  ceremonious. 

After  the  usual  method  of  such  councils  there 
began  a  recapitulation  of  wrongs.  Then  promises 
for  a  better  understanding  were  exchanged.  The 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  181 

eloquence,  native  grace,  and  show  of  deep  feeling 
were  very  marked.  Soon  their  faces  lighted  up 
and  their  tones  changed  from  accents  of  complaint 
to  those  of  reconciliation,  heartiness,  and  joy.  As 
was  done  at  the  Aravipa  council,  the  Indians  em 
braced  each  other  in  that  curious  double  manner 
peculiar  to  them.  They  began  to  talk  and  laugh 
freely  like  old  comrades,  and  continued  their  fes 
tivities  throughout  the  night.  Here  I  scored  an 
other  victory,  because  peace  makes  peace.  Neither 
whites  nor  Indians  can  long  exist  by  war  measures 
alone.  When  peace  by  mediation  is  obtained  even 
the  mediating  party  has  a  share  in  it. 

We  found  a  crying  evil  existing  along  the 
borders  of  the  great  Navajo  Reserve.  Frontier 
stockmen,  who  had  but  a  single  cabin  to  live  in 
and  a  very  small  corral,  were  nevertheless  accus 
tomed  to  take  vast  stretches  of  the  unoccupied 
public  domain  for  pasturage.  They  naturally  lost 
much  of  their  stock,  both  cattle  and  horses.  They 
sometimes  found  signs  of  stock-killing,  and  their 
horses  suddenly  disappeared  as  if  stolen.  The 
owners  and  herdsmen  cried  out  that  they  had  been 
robbed,  and,  whether  right  or  wrong,  they  stoutly 
accused  the  Indians. 

After  meditating  upon  this  state  of  things,  I 
gave  them  a  wholesome  preventive  measure.  I 
established  an  Indian  police,  the  members  of  which 
were  to  have  the  same  pay  as  our  soldiers,  and  put 
their  proud  war  chief  Manuelito,  with  his  consent, 
at  the  head.  That  police  was  very  efficient  while 
it  lasted.  It  prevented  all  good  Navajos,  who  were 
in  the  majority,  from  being  involved  by  their  evil 


182  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

brethren  in  troubles  which  invariably  followed  the 
commission  of  crimes.  The  greatest  disturbance 
arose  from  being  obliged  to  give  up  Indians  to 
white  men  for  punishment.  The  police,  being 
loyal  to  those  who  paid  them,  very  quickly  arrested 
the  criminals  and  delivered  them  up,  and  this  was 
done  so  quickly  that  Indian  hospitality  to  the  ac 
cused  was  not  violated. 

Leaving  the  Navajos  we  continued  our  long 
journey  to  Camp  Apache.  Here  we  again  met 
brotherly  greetings,  generous  hospitality,  and 
home  comforts.  As  we  emerged  from  the  continu 
ous  forest  the  rough  quarters  appeared  elegant, 
the  grass  plot  greener  than  ever,  and  even  the 
deep-cut  river  close  at  hand  seemed  to  murmur 
sounds  of  peace  and  good  will.  As  Mrs.  Dallas 
gave  me  her  hand  in  greeting  I  said:  "  What  a 
cosy  nest  you  have  made  here  among  the  protecting 
hills !  r  It  was  hedged  in  by  countless  trees. 

*  '  But,  General, ' '  the  lady  answered,  "  it  is  so 
lonely!''  That  was  true;  however  beautiful  the 
situation,  it  alone  is  insufficient  to  compensate  for 
the  society  which  cultured  minds  desire. 

A  large  body  of  Indians  had  assembled  from 
the  three  tribes  to  meet  our  returning  braves. 
There  were  lively  demonstrations.  Each  chief  was 
a  hero.  But  Meguil,  with  an  eye  in  his  sightless 
socket,  took  the  palm  of  attention  till  the  home 
brewed  tizwin*  obscured  the  vision  of  himself  and 
friends  by  its  relentless  effects.  Poor  Meguil  was 


*  Among  the  Apaches  and  kindred  Indians,  an  intoxicating  distilled 
liquor  similar  to  the  Mexican  mescal,  made  from  the  yucca  or  Spanish- 
bayonet. 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  183 

no  longer  under  a  pledge.  Es-kel-te-ce-la,  with  his 
people,  laughed  heartily  and  talked  rapidly;  he 
was,  no  doubt,  telling  to  wife  and  children  and  a 
crowd  of  listening  Indians  most  wondrous  tales 
of  adventure  and  sightseeing  too  grand  for  him  to 
portray. 

Pedro,  the  most  civilized  of  all,  began  at  once 
to  introduce  into  his  lodge  such  practical  measures 
as  he  could.  He  visited  Major  Dallas  and  asked 
his  aid  in  building  a  new  house.  No  persuasion 
could  induce  him  to  put  off  that  shirt,  once  white, 
which,  unfortunately,  had  become  too  much  soiled 
by  travel.  To  the  major  he  discoursed  with  great 
particularity,  through  the  interpreter,  upon  the 
changes  he  proposed  to  make  in  his  housekeeping, 
in  his  supplies,  and  especially  in  the  cooking  and 
in  new  observances  at  his  table.  We  smiled  at 
Pedro's  enthusiasm,  but  he  has  lived  on  and  con 
tinued  to  improve,  while  Meguil  and  Es-kel-te- 
ce-la,  a  few  years  after  that,  perished  in  a  petty 
Indian  outbreak. 

Santo  all  along  had  been  my  favorite.  On  the 
return  stage,  when  near  Santa  Fe,  I  ventured  to 
tell  the  Apaches  that  the  earth  was  round  and 
turned  on  an  axis.  Santo  was  grieved,  and,  show 
ing  much  feeling,  said:  "  General  Howard,  you 
have  been  like  a  father  to  us.  You  have  told  us  the 
truth,  and  never  deceived  us.  We  are  on  our  way 
home.  Now  do  not  talk  that  about  the  earth. 
Nothing  can  make  us  believe  that.  Indians  do  not 
think  that  way.  We  want  to  keep  you  our  friend. " 

Santo  parted  with  me  at  Camp  Apache.  Years 
after  an  officer  told  me  that  the  old  chief  always 


184  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

slept  with  a  New  Testament  which  I  had  given  him 
under  his  head.  Though  he  could  not  read,  Santo 
was  ever  after  loyal  to  the  book  and  to  the  giver ! 

As  my  son  Guy  must  soon  return  to  college,  I 
sent  him  via  Camp  Grant  over  the  hundred  miles 
of  rough  journey  in  charge  of  an  expedition  to 
take  the  Aravipa  Indians,  with  some  from  San 
Carlos,  to  their  reservations.  This  party  consisted 
of  Rev.  Dr.  McFarland,  Santo,  a  few  Indians  be 
sides,  and  a  detachment  of  soldiers  from  the  gar 
rison.  It  was,  as  we  know,  a  dangerous  journey 
over  a  rugged,  rocky  trail.  The  young  student,  to 
my  joy,  acquitted  himself  with  honor  and  carried 
through  his  company  without  loss,  though  the  aged 
missionary  came  near  giving  up  his  life  from 
fatigue  and  exhaustion.  He  insisted  that  the 
tender  care  that  he  received  from  the  young  com 
mander  saved  him. 

For  another  attempt  to  negotiate  with  the  wild 
Chiricahuas,  Concepcion  and  several  other  mes 
sengers  were  dispatched  in  different  directions 
toward  the  south.  Cochise's  men  were  reported 
to  be  still  roaming  and  robbing;  they  appeared  to 
have  no  fixed  dwelling  place.  Meanwhile,  Captain 
Sladen  and  I,  with  a  small  escort  of  cavalry,  visited 
the  lodges  and  farm  patches  of  all  the  different 
bands  of  the  Sierra-Blancas.  The  captain,  then 
young,  was  of  medium  height,  straight,  stout,  and 
broad-shouldered.  He  had  a  short  neck,  a  coun 
tenance  ruddy  and  full,  a  shapely  head  and  large 
hazel  eyes,  now  with  a  sad  expression,  now  spark 
ling  with  humor.  His  hair  was  straight  and  black 
and  so  was  his  heavy  moustache.  He  had  been  my 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  185 

companion  in  many  battles,  —  always  genial,  fear 
less,  and  intelligent.  Of  late  years  he  had  em 
ployed  his  leisure  hours  in  the  study  of  medicine, 
and  was  at  this  time  admitted  to  practice. 

As  we  passed  on,  lodge  after  lodge  revealed  to 
Sladen  the  squalor,  the  diseases,  and  the  sufferings 
of  those  neglected  Indians.  With  his  small  assort 
ment  of  drugs  and  his  sympathetic  voice  he  became 
to  the  Indians  during  that  journey  an  angel  of 
light  and  deliverance. 

We  went  as  far  as  San  Carlos.  The  bottom 
lands  in  that  quarter  were  largely  used  for  Indian 
planting,  and  white  men  averred  that  the  Indians 
made  it  a  starting  point  for  their  thieving  raids. 
One  night  I  camped  near  the  Gila  River.  Captain 
Leib,  who  had  charge  of  a  local  cavalry  guard,  and 
I  were  occupying  an  open  space  for  our  bivouac. 
We  were  sitting  upon  logs  some  four  or  five  yards 
apart  reading,  when  an  enormous  rattlesnake, 
coming  from  Leib's  left,  suddenly  coiled,  and,  with 
head  in  air,  made  ready  to  spring  at  me.  Leib 
cried  out,  "  Snake,  General,  snake! '  He  seized  a 
good-sized  stick  and  struck  him  a  heavy  blow  across 
the  tail  just  as  the  snake's  head  reached  my  knee. 
The  blow  so  quickly  delivered  was  enough.  His 
snakeship  coiled  again  and  Leib  soon  dispatched 
him,  while  he  remarked :  "  That  was  a  close  call ! ' 

The  next  day  we  turned  back  and  made  a  cir 
cuitous  trip  by  the  way  of  canyons,  wild,  jagged, 
and  precipitous  trails,  and  among  numberless 
buttes  and  rugged  mountain  crags.  The  scenery 
everywhere  was  picturesque,  but  our  paths  were 
ugly  and  often  fear-inspiring.  Two  hundred  and 


186  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

fifty  miles  of  circuit  and  inspection  brought  us 
again  to  Camp  Apache,  where  we  rested  for  two 
days.  Our  messengers,  led  by  Concepcion,  had 
made  their  journeys  far  and  wide  in  vain,  and  re 
turned  without  finding  even  a  trace  of  the  wily 
Cochise. 

My  several  efforts  to  complete  this  most  impor 
tant  part  of  my  mission  had  been  thus  far  unavail 
ing,  but  I  was  not  ready  to  give  up  the  chase.  I 
determined  to  seek  for  some  one  of  Cochise 's 
various  trails  to  the  east  and  follow  that  back  till 
I  could  uncover  his  hiding-place.  We  had  a 
glimmer  of  light  to  aid  us  —  some  vague  stories 
from  the  wife  of  a  half-breed  living  near  Camp 
Apache.  She  was  a  Chiricahuan.  She  was  sure 
the  old  chief  would  not  let  us  go  directly  to  any  of 
his  strongholds,  but  she  knew  that  he  occasionally 
went  eastward,  crossing  New  Mexico  as  far  as  the 
Rio  Grande. 

I  resolved  to  go  first  to  a  camp  of  soldiers  and 
Apaches  in  New  Mexico  which  my  instructions  re 
quired  me  to  visit.  These  Apaches  were  kindred 
to  the  Chiricahuas.  The  camp  was  at  Tulerosa,  in 
the  western  part  of  New  Mexico.  On  my  arrival 
I  found  there  Victorio's  Apache  band,  which  had 
been  recently  brought  from  the  Rio  Grande.  The 
home  they  came  from  bore  the  musical  name  of 
Canada  Alamosa.  All  were  full  of  discontent  at 
the  transfer,  and  the  officers  of  the  garrison  said 
that  these  Apaches  had  been  sorely  ill-used.  At 
the  first  interview  they  pleaded:  "Oh,  take  us 
back  home  to  Agua  Caliente  on  the  Rio  Grande! 
we  are  dying  here.  At  Canada  Alamosa  there  is 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  187 

good  land,  good  water,  and  good  food."  Patiently 
I  heard  the  Indians'  complaints  and  promised  a 
visit  to  that  salubrious  Canada,  i.  e.,  if  Victorio 
would  send  with  me  a  proper  delegation;  and, 
further,  I  would  carry  this  petition  for  the  In 
dians'  return  to  the  Rio  Grande  directly  to  the 
President. 

While  I  was  interviewing  the  Indians  and  the 
officers  of  the  garrison,  a  returning  troop  of  cav 
alry  that  had  been  chasing  some  wild  Apaches 
brought  in  as  its  guide  a  singular  character  of 
whom  I  had  frequently  heard  but  had  never  seen. 
Everybody  called  him  "  Tom  Jeffords."  I  may 
say  that  frontiersmen,  though  this  was  not  much 
to  his  discredit,  gave  him  a  bad  reputation.  "  Tom 
Jeffords !  He 's  a  bad  egg ;  he  trades  with  Indians, 
sells  them  whisky,  powder  and  shot.  They  don't 
kill  him  'cause  he's  bought  'em  up." 

At  one  period  while  the  stage  was  running 
regularly  on  the  Tucson  road,  Jeffords,  living  in 
that  neighborhood,  had  managed  to  keep  the  good 
will  of  the  Apaches.  On  one  occasion,  when  the 
driver  and  other  passengers  were  killed,  Jeffords, 
who  was  on  the  stage,  was  spared.  Whenever  after 
that  he  had  fallen  into  their  hands  he  h»f\  always 
escaped.  Major  Pope  told  me  that  he  had  once 
managed  to  reach  the  Chiricahua  chief  through 
Jeffords,  and  that  he  was  confident  that  the  man 
had  dealt  honestly  with  him.  I  believed  it  a  good 
providence  which  now  threw  him  in  my  way. 

Learning  that  the  cavalry  troops  had  actually 
arrived,  I  went  to  their  camp  to  find  Jeffords, 
The  first  tent  I  entered  a  tall,  spare  man,  with 
12 


188  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

reddish  hair  and  whiskers  of  considerable  length, 
rose  to  meet  me.  He  was  pleasant  and  affable,  and 
I  was  in  the  outset  prepossessed  in  his  favor.  Giv 
ing  my  name  I  asked : 

"  Is  this  Mr.  Jeffords?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  that  is  my  name." 

"  Can  you  take  me  to  the  camp  of  the  Indian 
Cochise?" 

He  looked  steadily  and  inquiringly  into  my 
eyes  and  then  asked : 

"  Will  you  go  there  with  me,  General,  without 
soldiers?" 

"  Yes,"  I  answered,  "  if  necessary." 

"  Then  I  will  take  you  to  him."  Something  in 
his  brave  face  and  decided  manner  made  me  be 
lieve  that  he  could  and  would  do  as  he  said. 

With  those  Tulerosa  Indians  was  a  young  chief 
called  "Chie,"  the  son  of  Magnus  Colorado,  Co- 
chise's  brother,  a  notorious  chief  captured  and 
killed  by  our  people  in  1863.  Jeffords  said: 
"  Chie  must  go  with  us  as  a  guide  and  friendly 
witness."  By  giving  a  horse  to  him  and  another 
to  his  young  wife,  who  was  to  stay  behind,  after 
some  delay  he  was  induced  to  go.  The  officers  of 
the  garrison  trusted  Chie  and  spoke  well  of  him. 
He  had  often  been  a  hunter  for  them. 

Jeffords  seemed  in  no  haste.  He  favored  our 
making  the  expedition,  which  I  had  promised,  back 
to  the  Eio  Grande.  He  declared  that  he  must  find 
Ponce,  another  young  chief,  who  with  a  roving 
band  had  recently  fled  from  Fort  Stanton  and 
was  somewhere  near  Canada  Alamosa  depredating 
on  the  country.  Ponce's  Apache  father  had  been 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  189 

in  his  lifetime  Cochise's  friend.  Ponce  knew 
Spanish  and  would  be  a  true  interpreter.  Of 
course,  like  a  good  general,  Jeffords  planned  to 
have  everything  possible  in  our  favor.  "  Ponce  is 
a  favorite  friend  of  the  old  man,"  he  averred. 
"  He  and  Chie  will  make  us  welcome  to  Cochise's 
stronghold. " 

We  made  the  expedition  to  Canada  Alamosa 
and  attended  to  all  Victorious  wants,  and  enabled 
him  to  renew  his  petition  for  a  return  to  that 
favored  land.  We  then  began  a  diligent  search 
first  for  Ponce's  band. 

This  wras  the  make-up  of  my  party  which  left 
Canada  Alamosa  the  20th  of  September:  Captain 
Jeffords,  Jake  May,  an  Anglo- Spanish  inter 
preter,  two  packers  leading  their  pack-horses,  Chie, 
Captain  Sladen,  and  myself.  We  were  all  well 
mounted.  I  had  besides  our  pack-horses  a  good 
four-wheeled  ambulance,  and  a  driver  who  was 
also  a  passable  cook.  The  ambulance  had  to  keep 
on  wagon  roads,  but  the  rest  of  us  could  follow  the 
trail  at  will  and  so  shorten  the  distances  in  each 
day's  march.  It  was  only  at  long  halts  that  we  had 
the  ambulance  with  us  at  all. 

The  first  day  after  leaving  Canada  Jeffords 
and  I  rode  on  ahead.  We  were  jogging  along  over 
a  trail  that  took  the  tributaries  of  the  Rio  Grande 
transversely  —  a  trail  that  was  naturally  up  and 
down  with  few  level  stretches  —  when  the  quick 
eye  of  Jeffords  detected  the  fresh  track  .of  an 
-unshod  horse.  The  rider  had  ridden  to  the  brow 
of  the  hill,  seen  us,  and  turned  back.  We  followed 
the  track  of  this  horseman  till  we  reached  an 


190          MY   LIFE   AND   PERSONAL   EXPERIENCES 

abrupt  descent.  It  led  to  a  deep  cross-canyon.  At 
the  bottom  flowed  the  Rio  Cochinillo  Negro.  We 
could  descry  that  river's  tortuous  course  for  miles 
toward  the  Rio  Grande.  The  valley  afforded  many 
rich  fields  for  cultivation.  At  intervals  waving 
corn  glistened  in  the  sunlight  and  gave  pictur- 
esqueness  to  the  view. 

Immediately  before  us  were  Indian  children  at 
play,  women  around  camp-fires  at  work,  and  a 
large  group  of  men,  not  far  off,  squatting  upon  the 
ground.  Indian  ponies,  quietly  grazing  along  the 
river,  completed  the  picture.  Without  hesitation 
we  descended  the  zigzag  trail  a  mile  or  more  and 
approached  the  strange  group.  Many  men  were 
playing  cards,  the  remainder  looking  on ;  all  were 
deeply  absorbed.  At  first  nobody  in  the  card  party 
took  the  slightest  notice  of  our  coming.  Jeff ords 
left  me  a  few  rods  back  with  the  horses.  As  he 
neared  the  Indians,  walking,  he  saw  Ponce  among 
them.  He  motioned  to  me  that  all  was  right,  and 
went  and  sat  down  beside  a  thick-set,  pleasant- 
visaged  young  Indian  and  spoke  to  him.  They 
exchanged  a  few  words  in  Spanish,  then  Ponce,  for 
it  was  he,  went  on  with  his  game. 

After-  it  was  over  the  Indians  arose  and  some  of 
them  took  favorable  notice  of  me,  calling  me  Tatah, 
a  term  with  them  meaning  chief,  like  Tytiee  among 
northern  tribes.  Some  came  very  close  and  exam 
ined  my  clothing  and  our  mounts  with  evident  ad 
miration  and  curiosity.  Ponce  was  intelligent, 
speaking  Spanish  with  readiness  —  a  big  hearted, 
lazy  fellow  in  camp,  but  quick  enough  on  a  scout 
or  a  hunt. 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  191 

Ponce  made  two  objections:  First,  he  asked: 
"  Who  will  take  care  of  these  Indians  ?  "  and, 
second,  "I  have  no  horse."  Our  soldiers  from 
different  posts  were  out  scouting  and  hunting  for 
this  very  tribe  of  renegades,  which  had  escaped 
from  a  reservation  and  were  feeding  upon  corn 
which  they  did  not  plant.  His  first  objection  I 
removed  by  taking  the  whole  band  to  the  nearest 
Mexican  hamlet  where  there  was  a  store  of  general 
merchandise.  I  furnished  their  gypsy-band  with 
thirty  days '  supply  on  condition  that  they  remained 
there  and  did  not  depredate.  I  met  the  next  ob 
jection  by  presenting  Ponce  with  a  horse  for  the 
journey.  But  the  next  day,  as  wre  drew  out  on  the 
trail,  I  noticed  that  Ponce  was  on  foot.  I  ex 
claimed  :  "  Where  is  your  horse'? ': 

With  a  mysterious  look  he  pointed  back  to  the 
Indian  village.  On  the  eve  of  starting  he  had  given 
his  horse  to  his  wife.  I  could  not  get  another  for 
Ponce,  but  told  him  that  I  would  "  spell  "  him  now 
and  then  with  my  own.  Sometimes  on  easy  trails 
he  rode  behind  my  saddle  and  a  portion  of  each  day 
I  walked  and  let  Ponce  ride.  This  arrangement 
greatly  pleased  him. 

Taking  the  routes  directly  toward  the  Arizona 
border  we  were  able  to  spend  the  23d  and  the  24th 
of  September  at  Fort  Bayard.  Here  we  received 
hospitable  welcome  and  replenished  our  stores. 
Silver  City,  a  small  mining  village,  came  next.  In 
its  outskirts  the  rough  miners,  seeing  our  Indians 
-  Ponce  and  Chie  —  barred  their  doors  from  fear. 
In  the  town  a  crowd  acting  like  a  mob  pressed 
closely  upon  us  and  so  persistently  insulted  the 


192  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Indians  by  threats  and  gibes  that  they  became 
alarmed.  By  keeping  Ponce  and  Chie  as  much  as 
possible  in  the  background  out  of  sight,  and  by 
conciliatory  speeches,  Sladen,  Jeffords,  and  I  man 
aged  to  quiet  the  villagers.  Nobody  there  believed 
in  the  peace  policy,  but  fortunately  there  were 
present  several  sensible  men  who  helped  us  to  re 
main  through  the  night  without  suffering  violence, 
and  to  get  on  the  western  trail  at  the  first  peep  of 
day. 

Ten  miles  beyond  the  village  we  ran  upon  a  pros 
pecting  party  who  were  searching  for  mines.  The 
leader,  a  big  burly  man,  had  had  a  brother  killed 
by  the  Apaches;  he  was  far  from  cordial.  When 
the  two  Indians  came  near  him  he  saluted  me  with 
a  fierce  oath  and  swore  he  would  kill  the  scoundrels 
on  the  spot.  As  he  raised  his  rifle  I  stepped  be 
tween  him  and  the  Indians,  and,  looking  him 
steadily  in  the  face,  said  simply : 

"  You  will  kill  me  first."  He  dropped  his  rifle 
and  rode  away  cursing  a  "  damnable  peace  policy 
which  permitted  savage  brutes  to  go  at  large! >: 

Not  long  after  that  Ponce  was  walking  by  my 
horse  in  a  lazy  fashion  with  his  eyes  on  the  ground, 
when  of  a  sudden  he  became  animated  and  cried  in 
Apache,  "  A  deer !  a  deer !  "  and  then  sprang  up  the 
side  of  the  hill  with  alacrity.  Having  Jeffords' 
rifle  in  his  hand,  he  followed  the  track  like  a  trained 
dog  and  soon  brought  back  a  small  deer.  A  few 
days  later  Ponce  was  lying  prone  on  my  horse, 
patting  his  neck  as  he  bore  him  along  the  beaten 
trail,  when  a  horse's  single  hoof -print  in  the  sandy 
soil  caught  his  attention.  He  instantly  took  the 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  193 

trail,  which  bore  off  at  an  angle.  In  a  few  minutes 
he  galloped  back,  calling  out,  " Apache!  Apache!  " 
I  asked  Jeffords  how  Ponce  knew  it  was  an  Apache 
horse.  Ponce  laughed  at  my  simplicity  as  he  an 
swered  :  "  Feet  small,  pony  no  shoes ;  Indian  horse 
goes  all  around  like  Apache."  By  this  I  under 
stood  that  an  American  would  ride  straight  ahead 
from  hill  to  hill,  but  not  so  the  Apache. 

This  one  trail  led  to  others.  Soon  we  found 
the  footsteps  of  men,  women,  and  children  near  a 
large  log  where  they  had  dismounted  and  stopped 
to  cook  and  eat.  Both  of  our  Indians  said  at  once, 
"  Cochise  Apaches!  r  No  others  shod  their  horses 
with  deer  skin  tied  above  the  fetlocks. 

The  trail  now  became  full  and  plain.  We  put 
ourselves  upon  it,  and  wound  around  among  the 
sand  hills  and  through  the  wastes  of  southwestern 
New  Mexico  till  the  Peloncillo  Mountains  began  to 
rise  and  stretch  themselves  across  our  path.  The 
trail,  reaching  harder  ground,  suddenly  spread 
into  several  dim  paths  and  then  vanished  alto 
gether,  but  we  kept  moving  toward  the  range.  At 
the  foothills  the  Indians  made  us  keep  together 
and  follow  the  lead  of  Chie,  who  ran  some  two 
hundred  yards  in  advance.  There  were  no  trees 
of  any  size,  but  here  and  there  were  some  resinous 
shoots,  straight  and  tall,  having  blade-like  leaves, 
with  about  the  firmness  of  a  cornstalk.  Chie  set 
fire  to  eight  of  these,  ranging  in  a  large  circuit,  - 
then  to  eight  more,  and  repeated  the  operation; 
the  fire  would  shoot  up  quickly  and  leave  a  peculiar 
little  cloud  of  black  smoke.  I  asked :  "  What  does 
he  do  that  for?" 


194  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Ponce  answered:  " Paz,  humo  puz,"  that  is, 
peace,  peace  smoke. 

Shortly  Chie  began  to  bark  like  a  coyote  and 
was  answered  by  a  bark  like  his  own  from  the 
mountain  side.  He  then  ran  up  the  slope  to  meet 
a  fellow  Apache,  while  we  went  on  slowly. 

The  danger  to  miners,  prospectors,  and  sol 
diers  while  crossing  arid  wastes  arises  from  long 
droughts.  Indians  also  suffer  for  want  of  water 
when  their  well-known  springs  dry  up.  We  were 
very  thirsty,  but  Ponce  assured  us  that  there  was 
one  good  fountain  up  there  among  the  trees  where 
Chie  had  gone.  Our  disappointment,  however, 
was  great  to  find  the  source  almost  exhausted, 
there  being  hardly  water  enough  for  the  men  to 
drink. 

While  we  sat  beside  the  spring  Chie  and  the 
stranger  joined  the  party.  The  latter  ate  some 
crackers,  drank  some  water,  and  smoked  a  pipe  in 
silence,  then  turning  toward  Chie  he  said:  "I 
must  go."  He  immediately  started  off  and  ran 
farther  up  the  mountain.  After  a  moment's  delay 
Ponce  ran  after  him  without  remark. 

Cochise  's  scout,  for  such  was  the  stranger,  very 
soon  returned.  He  was  mounted  on  an  Indian 
pony  with  a  child  behind  him,  while  his  obedient 
spouse  followed  on  foot.  Ponce,  now  coming  from 
another  direction,  led  in  a  small  company  of  ill- 
dressed,  dirty-looking  Indians,  some  mounted,  and 
the  rest  leading  their  ponies.  Evidently  the  spring 
water  had  not  been  wasted  in  ablutions.  An  old 
woman,  wrinkled  and  haggard,  was  introduced  to 
me  as  one  of  the  wives  of  Cochise.  We  had  come 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  195 

upon  an  outpost  of  the  famous  chief,  but  his 
stronghold  was  yet  more  than  a  hundred  miles  dis 
tant.  Soon  the  ponies  of  sixty  Indians  and  our 
own  horses  and  mules  were  feeding  together  along 
the  foothills  of  the  range,  while  the  Indians  and 
white  men  were  eating  bread  and  drinking  water 
from  the  same  fountain.  Luckily  for  the  animals, 
before  night  another  spring  was  discovered,  where 
a  few  at  a  time  were  permitted  to  get  a  good  drink. 
The  next  morning  Cochise's  scout  told  me 
frankly  that  I  must  diminish  my  party  or  never 
see  his  master.  I  then  turned  off  three  more  men 
to  meet  the  ambulance  at  Camp  Bowie  and  remain 
there  till  called  for.  Camp  Bowie  was  a  garrison 
post  in  Apache  Pas's,  a  few  miles  south  of  the  In 
dian  trail  which  we  were  following. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

SCOUTING   FOR    THE    APACHE    CHIEF,    COCHISE  —  ENTERING 

HIS   MOUNTAIN   STRONGHOLD  —  FIRST   NIGHT 

IN  A  WILD  CAMP. 

Setting  Out  to  Find  Cochise  —  "General,  Aren't  You  Doing  Wrong?" 

—  Marching  Under  a  Cloudless  Sky  —  A  Camp  Without  Water  — 
An  Off er  of  Whisky  in  Place  of  Food  —  A  Midnight  March  —  An 
Ideal   Camp  —  Little   Savage  Guides  —  In  an  Apache  Camp  —  No 
Word  from   Cochise  — "  Will   it  be  Peace?"  — "He   is   Coming!" 

—  The  Apaches  Prepare  to  Receive  their   Chief  —  Arrival   of  Co 
chise  —  "  This   is   the  Man  "  —  His   Appearance  —  I   am  Asked   to 
Explain  the  Object  of  my  Visit  —  A  Long  and  Interesting  Inter 
view  —  Some    Startling   Questions  —  A   Midnight   Scare  —  My   Re 
turn  Through  a  Dangerous  Country. 

JEFFOBDS,  Sladen,  myself,  and  the  two  In 
dians  went  over  the  mountain  and  across  the 
valleys  in  a  southwesterly  direction.  While 
ascending  the  Chiricahua  range  along  a  blind  trail, 
Sladen  rode  to  my  side  and  said :  ' '  General,  aren  't 
you  doing  wrong ?  Don't  you  think  you  are  taking 
too  much  risk?  Eight  could  have  made  some  re 
sistance,  but  now  there  are  only  five  of  us. " 

66  The  risk  is  indeed  great,"  I  replied,  "  but  I 
have  thought  the  matter  over  carefully  and  am 
determined  to  proceed." 

For  some  time  we  rode  along  in  silence.  I  was 
troubled  and  anxious  about  Sladen.  At  first  I 
meditated  sending  him  back,  but  I  knew  that  the 
bare  mention  of  it  would  make  him  indignant. 
But  it  is  one  thing  to  lay  one's  self  on  the  altar  of 
sacrifice,  quite  another  to  put  there  a  faithful 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  197 

friend.  Suddenly  I  turned  to  Sladen  and  looked 
him  in  the  face  and  said  aloud :  "  Captain,  whoso 
ever  will  save  his  life  shall  lose  it,  but  whosoever 
will  lose  his  life  for  my  sake,  the  same  shall  save 
it."  Without  another  word  Sladen  dropped  back 
upon  the  trail  and  the  danger  was  never  again  re 
ferred  to  between  us. 

That  first  day's  ride  of  forty  miles  over  the 
Chiricahua  range  was  tedious  indeed.  The  atmos 
phere  was  dry,  the  sun  scorching,  and  there  was 
no  water  in  any  of  the  usual  places.  The  animals 
suffered  even  more  than  the  men  from  increasing 
thirst.  Ponce  and  Chie  had  told  us  of  a  beautiful 
spring  on  the  western  slope  of  the  mountain  we 
were  .crossing.  About  sunset  Chie,  who  had  ridden 
off  the  route,  came  back  shaking  his  head:  "No 
agua!"  Not  one  drop— all  dry.  We  still  pushed 
on,  fearing  and  hoping,  while  we  examined  every 
semblance  of  relief  in  the  ravines  and  deep  gulches. 
Just  as  the  twilight  was  fading  into  night  we  dis 
covered  some  high,  perpendicular  rocks.  When 
we  came  closer  the  welcome  sound  of  water  trick 
ling  down  over  their  surface  caught  our  ears. 
Imagine  the  joy  of  our  little  party!  The  animals 
were  quickly  there  —  at  a  well-filled  basin  hollowed 
out  in  the  bottom  ledge.  How  glad  we  were  to 
drink  at  that  fountain  and,  like  Rebecca,  let  the 
animals  drink  also! 

Under  the  same  cloudless  sky  the  next  day  we 
toiled  on  for  thirty  miles  across  the  San  Simon 
valley,  in  Arizona.  It  was  a  broad,  dry,  sage 
brush  stretch  of  country  which  reaches  the  foot 
hills  of  the  Dragoon  Mountains.  These,  all  that 


198  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

day,  ragged,  gray,  and  lofty,  intercepted  the  west 
ern  view.  At  last,  weary  enough,  we  struck  the 
road  at  Rodgers'  ranch,  twenty-five  miles  west 
from  Camp  Bowie.  The  Bowie  garrison  had  sent 
out  a  small  guard  to  protect  this  stage  station. 
Rodgers  and  the  soldiers  were  much  surprised  as 
we  approached  them  from  the  desert.  I  said  to 
Mr.  Rodgers,  who  ran  out  to  meet  us:  "  Can  you 
give  us  something  to  eat?  " 

"  No,  no,"  he  answered,  "  but  I  have  some 
whisky  to  drink." 

"  But  we  don't  want  whisky!  '! 

'  i  Why  not  ?  "  he  asked  in  astonishment,  "  it  is 
good  whisky!  ': 

The  little  guard  of  enlisted  men  kindly  shared 
their  bread  and  bacon  with  us  and  fetched  excellent 
water  from  the  sulphur  springs  — the  salty  im 
pregnation  was  very  slight.  Here  we  staid,  a 
group  mysterious  to  the  guard,  till  the  twilight  had 
disappeared  and  the  upper  dome  was  never  before 
more  'thickly  studded  with  stars.  Rodgers  had 
three  or  four  large  dogs,  who  were  particularly 
hostile  to  Indians.  They  were  unwilling  to  make 
any  allowance  for  Ponce  and  Chie.  As  I  lay  down 
upon  a  bear  skin  I  asked  Chie  to  come  and  sleep 
with  me.  He  approached,  and  looking  at  the  bear 
skin,  said:  " Shosh  no  bucno!"  " Sliosli"  was 
the  Apache  word  for  bear.  Chie  was  more  afraid 
of  the  dead  bear's  skin  than  he  wras  of  the  living 
dogs,  but  I  put  away  the  bear  skin  and  used  only 
our  overcoats,  so  then  he  came  and  was  protected 
from  both  dangers. 

Shortly  after  midnight  we  saddled  up  in  si- 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  199 

lence  and  quietly  moved  away,  going  southeasterly 
toward  the  outer  slopes.  The  grass  was  tall  and 
nutritious,  but  there  was  no  water.  Coming  to  a 
level  space  Jeffords  had  us  halt  and  said:  "  Let 
us  make  a  dry  camp."  We  did  so,  resting  till  day 
light,  and  then  without  stopping  to  eat  we  began 
to  thread  a  cross-canyon  of  the  lofty  range,  going 
on  steadily  till  we  came  to  the  western  slope.  The 
sound  of  a  stream  flowing  from  the  mountain  gave 
us  fresh  delight.  In  a  few  minutes  we  were  upon 
its  banks.  It  came  from  an  abundant  spring  which 
produced  a  rivulet  of  clear,  cool,  most  acceptable 
water.  Near  at  hand,  beneath  a  scraggy  oak  with 
branches  low,  broad,  and  thick,  we  made  our 
bivouac,  while  the  animals,  quickly  freed  from 
their  loads,  ran  to  the  stream  and  drank  their  fill, 
after  which  they  busied  themselves  for  hours  feed 
ing  upon  the  sweet  grass  around  them. 

North  of  the  halting-place  was  the  rough  gap 
which,  Jeffords  said,  led  to  Cochise's  ordinary 
abode.  Chie  had  hardly  placed  his  saddle  and 
blanket  under  the  tree  when,  without  a  word,  he 
bounded  over  the  rocks  and  crags,  ever  upward  in 
the  direction  of  that  gap,  till  lost  to  view.  All  the 
day,  under  Ponce's  direction,  we  were  setting  five 
fires  in  circular  order.  This  meant  peace  and  five 
comers.  We  watched  in  vain  for  a  responsive 
smoke.  There  was  not  even  the  footfall  of  a  horse 
to  indicate  the  nearness  of  Cochise  or  any  of  his 
clan.  Chie  had  disappeared  behind  the  high  rocks, 
and  probably  gone  into  the  deep  canyon  beyond, 
and  as  yet  there  was  no  sign  from  him  when  we 
gathered  around  the  canvas  for  supper.  Ponce, 


200  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

apparently  not  anxious,  was  stolid.  We  had 
written  our  letters  and  notebooks  and  spent  the 
long  day  trying  to  while  away  the  time  as  patiently 
as  possible. 

Just  as  wre  finished  eating  supper  we  beheld  two 
Indian  boys  of  perhaps  ten  and  fourteen  years 
approaching  from  the  west.  Both  were  on  one 
horse.  As  they  drew  near  we  saw  that  the  horse 
was  without  saddle  or  blanket,  and  for  bridle  they 
had  a  small  rope  tied  to  his  under  jaw,  with  the 
loop  thrown  over  his  neck.  Coming  near,  the  lads 
dismounted,  looked  us  over  carefully,  scarcely 
speaking,  and  then  sitting  on  the  ground  regaled 
themselves  with  the  crackers  and  coffee  which  we 
offered.  The  repast  finished,  the  larger  of  them 
pointed  toward  the  gap,  and  told  Ponce  that  Chie 
had  come  to  their  lodges  and  wanted  us  all  to  come 
in  and  join  him. 

In  a  trice  we  understood  the  message.  We 
caught  up  our  blankets  and  supplies,  saddled  our 
mules  and  horses,  and  hastened  away.  The  boys 
acted  as  our  guides,  keeping  our  party  ahead  of 
them  along  the  trail.  One  of  them  took  a  great 
fancy  to  Captain  Sladen.  He  examined  his 
clothes,  admired  his  pistol  and  belt,  and  minutely 
inspected  his  horse  and  equipments.  The  good- 
natured  little  savage  doubtless  coveted  those  lux 
uries,  yet  he  showed  no  enviousness  either  in  look 
or  act. 

Winding  around  the  foothills  to  the  left  we 
found  a  crooked  stream  flowing  westward  from 
the  gap.  By  a  moderate  ascent  we  followed  that 
up  through  the  western  pass  into  the  heart  of  the 


poni»,r-oi*N. 


RED  CLOUD'S  BUCKSKIN  WAR  SHIRT,  ORNAMENTED  WITH  HUMAN 
SCALPS  AND  BEADS,- BEADED  LEGGINGS  AND  MOCCASINS. 

for  L/escnptlon  scr  pa/je     15 

PHOTOGRAPHED  AND  PAINTED  FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  OBJECTS  EXPRESSLY  FOR  THIS  WORK. 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  203 

range.  The  sun  had  set,  but  there  was  still  suf 
ficient  light  to  get  glimpses  of  our  environment. 
A  small  band  of  Apaches  —  mostly  women  and 
children  —  were  sitting  and  waiting  under  some 
trees.  Chie,  as  well  as  a  sub-chief,  had  risen  to 
meet  us,  and  the  children  were  flocking  around. 
Almost  encircling  the  party  were  the  walls  of  an 
enclosing  natural  fortification;  the  bottom  was  a 
rolling  plat  of  thirty  or  forty  acres  of  grass  land ; 
a  ceniga  or  small  swamp  near  the  middle  was  fed 
by  abundant  springs;  out  of  this  flowed  the  clear 
creek  which  we  had  ascended;  stunted  trees  were 
growing  here  and  there.  This  plat  was  protected 
on  the  north  and  south  by  sandstone  cliffs,  rough 
and  irregular,  rising  in  places  to  two  hundred  feet ; 
there  was  considerable  debris  at  their  base.  The 
whole  space  was  shut  in  except  where  the  narrow 
canyon  afforded  entrance  or  exit.  It  was  a  veri 
table  cul  de  sac. 

We  made  our  bivouac  near  the  creek  under  a 
tree,  amid  a  throng  of  those  wild  people  who,  in  the 
outset,  appeared  curious  and  happy,  not  hostile. 
That  evening  Tygee,  a  sub-chief,  paid  us  a  visit, 
courteous  enough,  it  is  true,  but  he  himself  was 
gloomy  and  reserved,  and  had  no  word  from  Co- 
chise.  Even  Ponce  and  Chie  were  troubled  and 
silent. 

"  Will  it  be  peace?  "  I  asked. 

Ponce  shook  his  head  and  answered  demurely : 
"  Quien  sale?"  i.  e.,  "  Who  knows?  " 

When  I  had  spread  out  my  blanket  and  placed 
my  saddle  for  a  pillow,  and  was  lying  down  for 
much-needed  rest,  the  children  came  and  nestled 


204  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

at  my  feet,  laying  their  little  heads  upon  my 
blanket.  I  turned  to  Captain  Sladen  and  said: 
"  This  does  not  mean  war  ";  so  without  particular 
apprehension  I  slept  comfortably  till  morning. 
The  Apache  band  had  made  their  bivouac  under 
the  small  trees  at  a  distance  near  the  debris  of  the 
great  walls. 

After  our  breakfast  the  following  day  we  began 
to  be  uncertain  as  to  our  next  step.  I  asked: 
"  What  shall  we  do  now,  Jeffords?  " 

"  Pack  up  as  if  we  could  go  where  we  please," 
he  replied.  Therefore,  to  show  our  independence, 
not  very  real,  we  were  packing  up  and  making 
ready,  when  suddenly  the  sound  of  many  voices 
arose  and  echoed  through  the  canyon.  Ponce  said : 
"  It  is  he;  he  is  coming!  r 

Immediately  preparations  were  made  by  the 
Indians  to  receive  their  chief.  The  circle  of  sitters 
was  enlarged  on  the  higher  bank  of  the  creek,  and 
a  folded  blanket  placed  for  his  seat. 

First  there  appeared  in  advance,  riding  rapidly 
down  the  ravine,  a  single  horseman,  short,  thick 
set,  and  much  painted  with  stripes  of  black  and 
vermillion.  He  had  a  fierce  look  and  carried  a  long 
lance  in  his  hand.  He  dismounted  and  embraced 
Jeffords,  while  I  asked:  "  Is  that  the  man?  r' 

"No,"  said  Jeffords,  "this  is  Juan,  his 
brother."  The  Indians  never  say  Cochise,  but  in 
Apache  "  Shi-ca-she,"  and  in  Spanish  "  Mi  Her- 
mano,"  meaning  my  brother. 

We  had  hardly  been  made  acquainted  with  the 
warlike  Juan,  who  was  diligently  inspecting  our 
personal  possessions,  when  a  mounted  party  ap- 


AMONG  OUK  HOSTILE  INDIANS  205 

peared.  It  consisted  of  a  fine-looking  horseman, 
a  younger  Indian,  and  two  women.  The  party 
proved  to  be  the  old  Chief  Cochise,  his  son  Natchez, 
his  sister,  and  his  young  wife.  His  elder  son  was 
absent. 

Having  ridden  up  to  us  Cochise  dismounted 
and  saluted  Jeffords  in  Spanish  as  an  old  friend. 
He  then  turned  to  me  as  Jeffords  was  saying: 
"  This  is  the  man."  The  chief  was  fully  six  feet 
in  height,  well-proportioned,  with  large  eyes;  his 
face  \vas  slightly  colored  with  vermilion,  hair 
straight  and  black,  with  a  few  silver  threads.  He 
warmly  grasped  my  hand  and  said  pleasantly: 
"  Buenos  dias,  Senor! '' 

Having  returned  his  salute  I  began  to  study  his 
face.  His  countenance  was  pleasant,  and  made 
me  feel  how  strange  it  is  that  such  a  man  can  be  a 
notorious  robber  and  cold-blooded  murderer.  In 
after  interviews  I  observed  that  upon  ordinary 
occasions  he  showed  courtesy  and  simplicity,  but, 
as  the  Chiricahua  chief,  when  in  council  or 
mounted,  leading  his  tribe,  if  Apache  wrongs  were 
touched  upon,  he  was  terribly  severe  in  aspect. 

As  soon  as  Cochise 's  sister  met  Ponce  he  said 
something  evidently  very  afflicting  to  her,  for  she 
sat  down,  and  for  some  minutes  uttered  a  loud  and 
continuous  Indian  wail.  Everybody  stood  still  till 
she  had  finished,  then  Cochise  and  I  passed  up  to 
where  the  blanket  was  placed  and  took  seats.  Al 
ready  the  Indians  —  men,  women,  and  children  - 
had  arranged  themselves  about  us  in  a  large  semi 
circle,  giving  due  form  and  interest  to  the  proceed 
ings.  Cochise  now  turned  to  Ponce  and  Chie,  who 

13 


206  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

were  seated  upon  his  right,  and  proceeded  to  gather 
from  them  what  he  could  of  my  history  and  de 
signs.  Both  Ponce  and  Chie  were  now  my  strong 
friends  and  their  story  evidently  created  a  favor 
able  impression. 

Next  Cochise  turned  to  me  and  said  something 
in  Apache.  Jeffords  gave  the  substance  in  Eng 
lish:  "  Will  the  General  explain  the  object  of  his 
visit?" 

"  The  President  sent  me  to  make  peace  between 
you  and  the  white  people." 

"  Nobody  wants  peace  more  than  I  do,"  he  re 
plied. 

"  Then,"  I  answered,  "  as  I  have  full  power  we 
can  make  peace. ' ' 

He  then  continued:    "  I  have  done  no  mischief 

since  I  came  from  Canada  Alamosa,  but  I  am  poor, 

—my  horses  poor  and  few.    I  might  have  brought 

in  more  by  raiding  the  Tucson  road,  but  I  did  not 

doit." 

Cochise,  however,  acknowledged  later  that  he 
had  recently  sent  out  twelve  captains  in  different 
directions  in  Mexico  and  Arizona  to  get  their  liv 
ing.  He  next  recited  at  some  length  his  own  story 
of  the  Apache  wrongs. 

I  answered  that  I  knew  of  these  things;  that 
there  were  two  parties  in  the  United  States— one 
friendly  to  the  Indians,  and  the  other  hostile  to 
them ;  that  the  friends  of  the  Indians  were  now  in 
power,  with  General  Grant  at  the  head.  I  then 
broached  my  plan  of  making,  on  the  Rio  Grande,  a 
common  reservation  for  the  different  bands  of 
Apaches,  including  his  own. 


AMONG  OTJR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  207 

66 1  have  been  there,"  Cochise  replied,  "  and  I 
like  the  country.  Rather  than  not  have  peace  I 
will  go  and  take  such  of  my  people  as  I  can,  but 
that  move  will  break  up  my  tribe. ' '  Then  he  asked 
suddenly:  "Why  not  give  me  Apache  Pass'? 
Give  me  that  and  I  will  protect  all  the  roads.  I 
will  see  that  nobody's  property  is  taken  by  In 
dians."  As  he  said  this  his  eyes  flashed  and  he 
lifted  his  chin  proudly. 

I  answered :  "  Perhaps  we  could  do  that,  but  it 
would  be  vastly  to  the  interest  of  the  Chiricahuas 
to  go  to  Alamosa.  Five  rivers  are  near  there :  the 
Rio  Grande,  the  Alamosa,  the  Negro,  the  Palomas, 
and  Puerco;  in  their  valleys  are  fine  planting 
grounds  and  good  grazing  for  thousands  of  cattle ; 
plenty  of  mescal  plants  are  there,  and  there  is  good 
hunting  in  the  mountains." 

He  quickly  turned  the  subject.  "How  long, 
General,  will  you  stay?  Will  you  wait  for  my 
captains  to  come  in  and  have  a  talk?  ': 

These  were  startling  questions,  considering  that 
our  lives  were  at  his  disposal,  but  I  answered 
promptly:  "I  came  from  Washington  to  meet 
your  people  and  make  peace,  and  will  stay  as  long 
as  necessary. ' ' 

"  It  will  take  ten  days,"  Cochise  said.  He  ap 
peared  to  be  pleased  at  my  answer  and  ordered  his 
messengers  to  the  captains  to  get  ready;  then  his 
whole  manner  changed  and  he  went  into  a  com 
plaining  and  sometimes  fierce  recital  of  the  bloody 
history  of  the  Apaches. 

"  We  were  once  a  large  people  covering  these 
mountains ;  we  lived  well ;  we  were  at  peace.  One 


208          MY   LIFE   AND   PERSONAL   EXPERIENCES 

day  my  best  friend  was  seized  by  an  officer  of  the 
white  men  and  treacherously  killed.  .  .  .  The 
worst  place  of  all  is  Apache  Pass.  There,  five  In 
dians,  one  my  brother,  were  murdered.  Their 
bodies  were  hung  up  and  kept  there  till  they  were 
skeletons.  .  .  .  Now  Americans  and  Mexicans 
kill  an  Apache  on  sight.  I  have  retaliated  with  all 
my  might.  My  people  have  killed  Americans  and 
Mexicans  and  taken  their  property.  Their  losses 
have  been  greater  than  mine.  I  have  killed  ten 
white  men  for  every  Indian  slain,  but  I  know  that 
the  whites  are  many  and  the  Indians  are  few. 
Apaches  are  growing  less  and  less  every  day.  .  .  . 
Why  shut  me  up  on  a  reservation  ?  We  will  make 
peace.  We  will  keep  it  faithfully.  But  let  us  go 
around  free  as  Americans  do.  Let  us  go  wherever 
we  please. " 

I  answered  that  all  this  country  did  not  prop 
erly  belong  to  the  Indians;  that  all  God's  children 
had  an  interest  in  it,  and  therefore  to  keep  the 
peace  we  must  fix  metes  and  bounds;  that  such  a 
peace  as  Cochise  proposed  would  not  last  a  week. 
"  Suppose, "  I  said,  "  some  rough  prospectors 
should  fire  upon  and  kill  a  portion  of  your  band, 
or  suppose  some  of  your  wild  young  men  should 
take  the  life  of  a  citizen,  the  peace  would  then  be 
hopelessly  broken." 

After  considerably  more  plaintive  pleading  he 
said:  "You  Americans  began  the  fight."  I  re 
plied,  as  before :  "I  know  that.  A  large  number 
of  your  friends  fully  believe  what  you  state  and 
they  wish  to  see  war,  murder,  and  robbery  cease." 

He  smiled  and  in  a  different  tone  added:    "  I 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  209 

am  glad  you  have  come,  but  will  not  the  soldiers 
fire  upon  my  Apaches  as  they  come  in  ?  ' '  To  this 
I  answered  that  I  would  send  Captain  Sladen  to 
Camp  Bowie  to  notify  that  garrison  and  to  tele 
graph  to  other  posts.  Cochise  shook  his  head 
doubtfully : 

."The  soldiers  may  not  obey  Captain  Sladen. 
They  will  obey  you.  I  want  you  to  go.  Jeffords 
and  Captain  Sladen  can  stay  here." 

Looking  around  upon  the  people  with  a  smile 
he  added :  "  Our  young  women  will  look  after  the 
young  captain."  Thereupon  shouting  and  laugh 
ter,  with  clapping  of  hands,  came  from  all  the 
women  in  response.  I  hardly  think  Sladen  en 
joyed  the  alternative,  even  though  he  had  evidence 
of  such  popularity. 

I  decided  to  go  back  over  the  Dragoon  mountain 
fifty  miles  or  more  to  Camp  Bowie,  and  therefore 
asked  for  a  guide.  None  of  Cochise 's  people  dared 
to  go.  They  answered  the  chief  as  he  spoke  to 
them:  "There  is  no  peace  yet.  We  might  be 
killed."  At  last  Chie  stepped  forward  and  said: 
"  I  will  go,  if  Jeffords  will  give  me  his  mule." 

Then,  the  mule  being  given,  Chie  and  I  pre 
pared  to  make  the  journey.  We  mounted  and  rode 
westward  to  the  mouth  of  the  danyon.  Our 
friends,  accompanied  by  Cochise  and  several  In 
dians,  went  with  us  that  far.  Stopping  on  high 
ground  and  leaning  against  a  large  smooth-faced 
stone  we  gazed  around.  Before  us  was  a  mag 
nificent  landscape.  As  Cochise  raised  his  eyes  and 
took  in  the  view  he  exclaimed:  "  Shi-cow  ah!  "  t 
i.e.,  "My  home!" 


*.?'  * 


210  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Chie  and  I  set  out  together,  moving  northeast 
and  ascending  the  western  slope  of  the  Dragoon 
range.  We  followed  a  faint  trail  till  night  ob 
scured  it;  we  then  scrambled  on  as  best  we  could 
over  ragged  heights  and  through  deep  gulches.  I 
tore  my  coat  in  shreds,  pricked  my  legs  with  thorns, 
and  withal  made  such  poor  headway  that  for  a 
time  I  was  sure  we  should  be  obliged  to  remain  on 
that  mountain  all  night,  but  the  young  Indian  did 
not  falter.  Occasionally  he  cried  back  to  me: 
"  Camino  no  faieno/'  i.  e., ' '  Road  not  good. ' '  Then 
he  would  stop  and  push  out  in  another  direction. 
I  leaned  forward  and  hugged  my  mule 's  neck  as  he 
ascended  a  height,  pulled  him  up  after  me  along 
the  sides  where  it  was  too  steep  to  stand  still,  and 
sometimes  I  slid  down  a  deep  ravine  by  holding  his 
tail  and  pushing  him  before  me.  My  Spanish  was 
meager  and  Chie's  no  better.  His  only  English 
was  "  yes,  sir,"  and  "  milky-way  ";  but  "  Camino 
bueno/'  oft  repeated  by  Chie's  cheery  voice  at  last 
brought  me  out  upon  the  foothills,  where  each  of 
us  showed  his  joy  by  whistling  and  singing. 

Obtaining  a  lift  in  Rodgers'  lumber  wagon  over 
the  last  twenty-five  miles,  we  came  in  sight  of 
Camp  Bowie  when  the  sun  was  an  hour  high.  We 
passed  through  Apache  Pass,  where  Chie's  father, 
Magnus  Colorado,  was  slain.  Here  Chie  lost  his 
usual  cheerfulness  and  seemed  in  distress.  Once 
previously  the  young  man  had  asked  Jeffords: 
"  Why  did  the  white  men  kill  my  father?  "  Jef 
fords  answered:  "  Because  those  were  bad  white 
men. ' '  This  answer  doubtless  kept  him  from  hold 
ing  all  white  men  responsible. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  211 

On  our  approach  to  Bowie  through  the  woods 
the  outpost  men  took  us  for  Apaches  and  came  near 
firing  at  us,  but  my  American  voice,  shrill  enough 
then,  reassured  them. 

At  Camp  Bowie  I  found  the  son  of  my  old  gen 
eral,  Major  S,  S.  Sumner,  in  command.  His  good 
wife  helped  put  my  wardrobe  in  better  condition. 
After  I  had  given  all  necessary  orders  I  took  those 
of  our  party  who  had  been  detached  with  us  and  we 
turned  back  and  by  sunset  of  that  day  were  once 
more  at  Rodgers '  ranch. 

The  next  morning,  after  a  much-needed  rest, 
we  followed  the  Tucson  road  till  we  had  passed  the 
Dragoon  mountains,  and  then  turned  southward 
by  the  way  of  Dragoon  springs.  Cochise  and  Cap 
tain  Sladen,  from  a  high  point  fifteen  miles  south 
of  the  springs,  were  eagerly  watching  for  the  first 
sign  of  our  coming.  As  we  neared  them  they  all 
descended  with  joyous  speed  to  meet  us.  The  night 
previous,  the  Apaches  there  in  Cochise 's  strong 
hold  had  had  a  great  fright.  Some  rumor  came 
that  soldiers  were  nearing  them;  they  changed 
their  ground  to  a  place  of  easier  defense.  "  We 
lay,"  said  Sladen,  "the  rest  of  the  night  on  the 
sharp  rocks  of  the  mountain  side/'  Behind  them 
was  a  rough  bridle  path  practicable  only  for  lead 
ing  horses  and  mules  up  to  the  summit  of  the  moun 
tain.  Instantly  upon  actual  approach  of  soldiers 
the  women,  children,  and  luggage  would  pass  to 
the  height  and  be  off,  while  the  warriors  could 
easily  destroy  any  small  force  that  should  rashly 
undertake  the  ascent  and  the  attack. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

MY  EXPERIENCES  IN  A  WILD  APACHE  CAMP  —  FAREWELL 
TO  COCHISE. 

Getting  Acquainted  with  Cochise  —  A  Dance  of  Welcome  —  Becoming 
Conduct  of  Indian  Women  —  Apache  Mothers  —  Inviting  Cochise 
to  Dinner  —  Some  Ludicrous  Table  Manners  —  Eating  from  my 
Plate  and  Drinking  from  my  Cup  —  A  Sudden  and  Startling  Alarm 

—  Cochise  Becomes  Intoxicated,  Unruly,  and  Violent  —  Disquieting 
Rumors  —  Managing     Rough     and     Troublesome     Customers  —  A 
Strange    Ceremony    and    Weird    Performance  —  An    Embarrassing 
Offer  —  A  Chief  Covets   my   Mules  —  Offers  to   Exchange   Two   of 
His  Wives  for  Them  —  Declining  the  Trade  Without  Giving  Offense 

—  Farewell  to  Cochise. 

1WAS  now  to  live  with  the  Indians  for  some 
time.  The  new  camping  ground  to  which  Co 
chise  took  us  was  north  of  the  entrance  to 
his  stronghold,  well  up  on  the  foothills  where 
were  clusters  of  oaks  and  several  acres  of  grass 
land.  Six  miles  off  stood  a  globular  height, 
springing  three  hundred  feet  from  the  plain, 
with  the  San  Pedro  River  at  its  foot.  On  this 
hill,  at  the  request  of  Cochise,  Jeffords  and 
Sladen  had  planted  a  white  flag.  Sladen  told 
me  how  the  Indian  women  and  children  clapped 
their  hands  when  they  first  saw  this  emblem  of 
peace.  Jeffords  had  understood  them  when  in  one 
compound  word  in  Apache  they  cried:  "  The-flag- 
of-peace-I-love !  r 

A  stunted  oak,  with  broad  branches,  covered 
my  bivouac;  thirty  yards  away  was  Cochise 's. 
His  was  made  by  a  couple  of  boughs  leaned  against 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  213 

a  scrub  oak  which  had  grown  near  a  high  rock.  A 
place  for  sleeping  was  hollowed  out  in  the  earth 
beneath.  The  furniture  consisted  of  several  buck 
skins  dressed  with  the  hair  on  them,  a  few  blankets 
that  had  seen  long  service,  some  bows  and  arrows, 
a  rifle  in  prime  order,  and  four  sets  of  saddles  and 
bridles  thrown  together  with  as  many  sets  of  hide 
horseshoes;  also  a  number  of  knives,  a  small  tin 
vessel  for  coffee,  a  water  bucket,  and  an  olla  or 
earthen  water- jar.  Our  provisions,  consisting  of 
some  fresh  and  some  jerked  venison,  were  hung  on 
a  branch  of  the  oak.  Mescal  plants  were  abundant, 
and  sundry  esculent  seeds  whose  names  I  could  not 
learn  were  lying  in  heaps  close  at  hand. 

Every  night  after  my  return  Cochise  sent  his 
sister,  a  woman  of  at  least  forty  years  of  age,  with 
a  few  helpers,  to  guard  our  animals  and  protect 
our  supplies.  The  first  evening,  in  the  dim  star 
light,  without  a  camp  fire,  the  Indians  gave  us  a 
dance  of  welcome.  They  used  a  simple  contra- 
figure.  The  women  stood  in  line  and  opposite  to  a 
line  of  men.  Two  women  then  stepped  forward, 
keeping  time  to  the  rough  music  of  a  tom-tom,  as 
they  moved  toward  one  man.  He  followed  them  as 
they  retired.  At  given  times  the  men  crossed  over 
and  all  formed  one  line,  the  men  and  women  facing 
different  ways;  then  going  forward  and  back  the 
women  faced  about  and  the  men  followed  suit, 
without  losing  step;  occasionally,  at  a  word,  all 
moved  in  a  circle.  The  drum  was  the  ordinary 
tom-tom  made  of  buckskin  stretched  over  an  olla, 
and  the  drumstick  was  a  flexible  rod. 

When  I  was  invited  to  dance  I  did  so.    As  I 


214  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

passed  into  line  an  Indian  woman  held  my  left  hand 
and  another  my  empty  right  sleeve,  chatting  and 
laughing  all  the  time,  but  I  could  not  understand 
what  they  said.  After  each  dance  the  men  were 
expected  to  make  a  present  to  both  women ;  it  was 
the  rule  for  every  man.  Any  little  thing  ans\vered 
the  purpose,  such  as  a  penny  or  a  pencil.  One  tall 
packer  by  the  name  of  Stone,  who  had  come  with 
me  from  Bowie,  delighted  the  Indians  beyond 
measure  when  he  joined  the  dance,  for  he  spoke 
Apache  a  little  and  was  full  of  fun.  But  one  night 
he  had  nothing  in  his  pocket  with  which  to  pay  the 
tax.  Ponce  suggested:  "  You  have  two  shirts, 
give  them  one,"  and  so  he  did.  Ponce  shouted  in 
Spanish:  "A  man  who  gives  his  last  shirt  is  sure 
to  prosper! ' 

The  conduct  of  the  women  during  our  visit  was 
uniformly  good.  Most  of  them  were  industrious. 
They  tanned  deer  hides,  did  all  the  camp  work, 
attended  to  the  cooking,  and  cared  for  the  children. 
As  soon  as  I  let  them  have  some  mania  (cotton 
cloth)  they  worked  busily  enough  making  new 
garments.  All  had  short  skirts,  with  loose  sacques 
hanging  over  them,  and  wore  moccasins  orna 
mented  with  beadwork.  Nearly  all  wore  strings  of 
beads  around  their  necks.  There  was  no  wanton 
ness,  and  not  one  woman  in  that  entire  camp  bore 
the  dreadful  mark  given  by  Apaches  for  adultery, 
which  was  the  cutting  off  of  a  part  of  the  nose.  I 
had  seen  one  case  of  it  in  the  first  Apache  party 
we  met. 

I  was  careful  to  maintain  the  good  footing  I 
had  established  with  the  children  on  that  first  night 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  215 

when  we  were  in  Cochise's  stronghold.  The  babies 
were  each  bound  to  a  board,  the  head  usually  shel 
tered  by  basketwork.  I  saw  mothers  dip  their 
little  ones  in  the  clear  cold  stream  and  immediately 
wrap  them  in  numerous  bands  of  cotton  cloth  and 
fasten  them  to  the  boards,  leaving  the  head  and 
feet  free.  A  strap  enabled  the  mother  to  swing  the 
little  one  upon  her  back,  supporting  it  by  the  strap 
against  her  forehead  as  she  walked  or  ran.  Until 
they  were  twelve  years  old  the  boys  seldom  wore 
any  other  clothing  than  the  breech-cloth.  A  bit  of 
cracker  or  lump  of  sugar  overcame  the  shyness  of 
the  children.  Day  after  day  I  noticed  them  hap 
pily  sporting  upon  the  huge  rocks  in  innocent 
play.  Boys  and  girls  gathered  around  me  when  I 
was  writing  and  did  their  best  to  imitate  the 
"copy"  that  I  wrote  for  them.  Cochise's  son 
Natchez,  a  lad  of  fourteen,  learned  from  me  to 
write  his  name.  For  a  diversion  they  tried  to 
teach  me  the  Apache  language, — laughing  at  my 
queer  pronunciation  and  at  my  evident  dullness  in 
learning  Indian  speech. 

The  Apaches  could  go  many  hours  without 
food,  but  in  times  of  plenty  they  had  food  always 
ready.  Whenever  one  of  them  was  hungry  he  pro 
ceeded  to  help  himself,  for  there  was  no  regular 
meal  time.  I  introduced  the  three-meal-a-day  sys 
tem,  using  in  lieu  of  a  table  my  canvas  spread  on 
the  ground.  When  the  first  meal  was  served  I  in 
vited  Cochise  to  sit  at  one  end  and  beside  me.  After 
the  invited  guests  were  located  the  sub-chiefs  and 
other  Indians  were  asked  to  occupy  the  vacant 
places.  As  soon  as  we  were  seated  boys  and  men 


216  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

crowded  into  every  interval.  I  had,  while  squat 
ting  on  the  ground  in  tailor-like  position,  an  Indian 
at  my  left  elbow  and  a  child  astride  of  my  right 
leg,  both  eating  from  my  plate  and  drinking  from 
my  cup.  The  white  man's  table  etiquette  was  not 
closely  followed. 

Only  once  did  we  have  anything  like  an  alarm. 
Cochise  and  several  of  his  Indians  had  had  a 
tizwin  spree.  They  made  the  liquor  from  the 
mescal  plant.  It  was  not  very  strong,  but  they 
kept  pouring  it  down  until  the  inevitable  result 
followed— they  became  much  excited.  Suddenly 
I  heard  sharp  screams  from  Cochise 's  wife  and 
sister,  and  I  saw  them  fleeing  in  terror  from  his 
bivouac.  He  was  striking  and  scolding  them,  and 
his  voice  was  loud  and  harsh.  With  some  trepida 
tion  I  said  to  Jeffords :  ' '  What  shall  we  do  now  ?  ' ' 

"  Oh,  General,  sit  down!  sit  down!  "  replied 
Jeffords. 

I  did  so,  while  Jeffords  ran  to  Cochise  and  plac 
ing  himself  beside  him  managed  to  entertain  him. 
Crazy  drunk  as  the  man  was  at  first,  he  soon  be 
came  more  quiet,  and  in  a  short  time  the  extreme 
violence  of  intoxication  had  passed.  Indians  when 
sober  may  be  managed,  but  with  Indians  drunk  no 
one  can  predict  the  consequences. 

The  first  Apache  captain  to  come  into  camp 
was  Nyle-shie-zie,  a  man  over  thirty,— Cochise 's 
brother-in-law.  He  brought  a  rumor  that  soldiers, 
in  spite  of  my  orders,  had  been  sent  against  the 
Chiricahuas.  The  whole  camp  seemed  to  be  run 
ning  to  me,  and  all  were  frightened.  The  scare  was 
caused  by  Indians  getting  a  distant  glimpse  of 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  219 

Captain  Sladen,  and  Jake  May,  our  interpreter, 
who  were  returning  from  a  food  and  mail  trip  to 
Bowie.  This  incident,  like  that  of  the  night  camp- 
moving,  showed  in  what  constant  apprehension 
these  Indians  lived. 

Other  Apaches  continued  to  come  in  until 
nearly  all  were  in  camp.  Many  of  the  newcomers 
were  rough  and  very  troublesome,  and  an  adjust 
ment  of  all  vexed  questions  was  hard  to  bring 
about.  I  was  forced  to  abandon  the  Alamosa 
scheme,  and  to  give  them,  as  Cochise  had  suggested, 
a  reservation  embracing  a  part  of  the  Chiricahua 
mountains  and  of  the  valley  adjoining  on  the  west, 
which  included  the  Big  Sulphur  Spring  and 
Kodgers'  ranch. 

The  evening  after  the  council  a  strange  cere 
mony  for  consulting  the  spirits  was  observed  by 
the  Indians.  It  took  place  on  a  separate  plateau 
near  my  bivouac.  I  was  not  to  be  present  at  the 
beginning  of  the  performance.  I  could,  however, 
hear  the  muffled  sound  of  voices  of  a  multitude  of 
women  apparently  imitating  the  low  moaning  of 
the  wind.  Then  all— men  and  women— sang  with 
ever  increasing  volume  of  sound,  and  the  women's 
voices  rose  higher  and  higher.  It  was  a  wild,  weird 
performance. 

In  due  time  the  roughest-appearing  Apache 
that  I  had  ever  seen,  tall  and  muscular,  his  long 
hair  hanging  in  braids  down  his  back,  ran  toward 
me.  His  manner  was  not  as  fierce  as  his  appear 
ance  would  indicate,  for  he  now  spoke  gently  and 
invited  me  and  all  our  white  men  to  join  the  band 
on  the  plateau.  Arriving  there  we  sat  outside  the 


220  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

women's  circle, — the  male  Indians  being  seated 
within  it.  As  soon  as  the  singing  ceased  the  men 
kept  on  talking,  but  without  rising.  An  authorita 
tive  voice  now  silenced  all  the  others.  It  was  Co- 
chise  speaking  in  a  mournful  recitative.  More 
than  once  I  heard  him  use  Jeffords'  sobriquet, 
"  Stag-li-to/'  meaning  Eedbeard.  Our  whole  case 
was  evidently  being  discussed  at  the  meeting. 
Those  were  solemn  moments  to  us,  for  we  could  not 
determine  on  which  side  of  the  Styx  their  super 
stitions  might  land  us. 

Fortunately,  the  spirits  were  on  our  side. 
Their  answer  to  the  Indian  incantation  was  ren 
dered  through  Cochise,  who  said:  "  Hereafter  the 
white  man  and  the  Indian  are  to  drink  of  the  same 
water,  eat  of  the  same  bread,  and  be  at  peace. ' '  I 
felt  that  the  object  of  my  mission  was  now  accom 
plished. 

The  day  following  the  spirits'  favorable  declar 
ation  we  all  set  out  to  meet,  by  appointment,  the 
officers  from  Camp  Bowie.  We  were  to  assemble 
at  Dragoon  Springs.  During  the  journey  I  rode  a 
stout  mule,  carrying  double;  Cochise 's  Indian  in 
terpreter,  with  his  supple  arms  encircling  my 
waist,  was  my  companion.  Cochise,  with  his  face 
freshly  and  hideously  painted  with  vermilion  up 
to  his  hair,  had  a  fierce  and  repellant  aspect.  The 
wild  yells  of  his  mounted  warriors  seemed  to  excite 
him  almost  as  much  as  the  tizwin  had  done.  On 
the  way  they  made  several  wild  charges  at  imagin 
ary  foes,  and  I  could  see  how  wagon  trains  of  mules 
could  easily  be  frightened  and  stampeded  almost 
beyond  recall. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  221 

Arriving  at  Dragoon  Springs  Cochise  located 
his  men  with  such  skill  that  every  one  of  them 
could  in  two  minutes  have  been  safely  under  the 
cover  of  a  ravine,  and  in  three  minutes  more  have 
escaped  behind  a  protecting  hill,  and  so  have  passed 
to  the  mountains  without  the  least  hindrance. 

Cochise  now  said  to  Jeffords:  "  I  know  your 
party  and  I  trust  you,  but  those  people  from 
Apache  Pass  (Camp  Bowie)  I  do  not  know.  How 
long  have  you  known  them?  " 

"  I  never  saw  them/'  said  Jeffords.  That  was 
all  the  conversation  that  occurred  between  the  In 
dians  and  ourselves  before  our  arrival  and  their 
quick  formation  near  the  Dragoon  Springs. 

Major  Sumner,  with  several  officers  and  a  few 
civilians,  came  out  to  meet  us.  We  immediately 
entered  into  a  council  with  the  Indians  which 
lasted  four  hours.  It  was  substantially  a  repeti 
tion  of  those  which  I  have  already  described.  The 
metes  and  bounds  of  the  reservation  were  fixed, 
the  agency  at  Sulphur  Springs  established,  and 
Jeffords  was  appointed  as  the  agent  of  the  Indian 
department.  It  was  arranged  that  all  Apaches 
when  off  from  a  road  were  to  show  a  white  flag, 
and  all  on  a  road  were  to  meet  people,  as  white 
men  do,  without  any  manifestation  of  fear. 

One  day  while  in  Cochise 's  camp  I  noticed  a 
beautiful  rifle,  a  breech-loader  that  had  been  the 
property  of  Lieutenant  Stewart  whom  the  Indians 
had  killed  in  battle.  As  I  was  thoughtfully  look 
ing  it  over,  the  old  chief,  who  wras  intently  watch 
ing  my  face,  suddenly  said:  "No  trieste,  Gen 
eral!  "  I  was  thinking  of  the  young  officer's  sud- 


222          MY   LIFE   AND   PERSONAL   EXPERIENCES 

den  death  and  how  he  was  mourned  at  home. 
Cochise  interpreted  my  thought  and  said  in  Span 
ish:  "  You  know,  General,  that  we  do  things  in 
war  that  we  do  not  do  in  peace.''  It  was  hard  to 
comply  with  the  old  chief's  admonition  and  not 
keep  a  sad  countenance,  but  I  did  my  best  and  told 
him  that  as  I  had  been  in  war  myself  for  many 
years  I  knew  that  what  he  said  was  true,  but  I 
longed  for  the  time  to  come  when  all  people  would 
make  peace  and  there  would  be  no  more  war. 

Cochise  had  said  in  the  spirit  council  to  his 
fellow  Indians:  "  Hereafter  the  white  man  and 
the  Indian  are  to  drink  of  the  same  water  and  eat 
of  the  same  bread."  Soon  afterward  one  of  his 
wildest  captains  came  to  me  with  the  interpreter 
and  tried  to  buy  my  four  magnificent  mules.  After 
offering  me  everything  of  value  which  he  pos 
sessed,  and  receiving  my  answer,  ofttimes  re 
peated:  "  I  cannot  sell  them;  they  are  not  mine; 
they  belong  to  the  United  States  government, '?  he 
went  away  with  an  incredulous  look  that  plainly 
showed  he  did  not  quite  believe  what  I  said.  Had 
I  not  declared  in  council  that  General  Grant  had 
given  me  all  necessary  power  to  make  peace  with 
the  Indians  ?  Was  not  the  power  to  give  him  those 
four  handsome  mules  necessarily  included? 

After  a  time  he  returned  with  the  same  inter 
preter  and  two  young  Indian  women.  They  were 
dressed  in  new  mania,  their  hair  was  neatly 
combed,  beads  hung  around  their  necks,  and  the 
moccasins  which  met  their  pretty  dresses  were 
fresh  and  clean.  I  said  to  myself  as  they  ap 
proached:  "These  are  very  presentable  girls." 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  223 

They  smiled  when  they  looked  in  my  face  as  if  they 
had  interpreted  my  thought. 

Now  judge  of  my  surprise  when  the  young 
brave,  looking  at  them  and  then  at  me,  said  through 
the  interpreter : 

"  General  Howard,  I  will  give  you  these  two 
girls  for  those  four  mules.  They  are  my  two  wives, 
and  I  shall  be  glad  to  let  you  have  them  for  your 
wives  if  you  will  let  me  have  the  four  mules. " 

I  stammered  out:  "  Why,  I  am  married  al 
ready." 

The  girls  then  said  something  to  the  interpreter 
and  smiled  sweetly  upon  me  while  he  said :  i '  The 
women  say  that  will  make  no  difference.  They 
don't  mind  your  having  a  wife  already;  they  will 
do  everything  they  can  to  please  you  and  will  go 
anywhere  with  you." 

This  flattering  answer  puzzled  me  more  than  I 
can  explain,  but  I  remembered  an  incident  that 
had  occurred  the  night  before,  and  of  which  I  had 
been  told.  One  of  our  packers  had  approached  the 
sister  of  Cochise  during  her  watch  over  my  camp 
property— a  duty  which  Cochise  had  required  of 
her,  and  made  to  her  an  improper  proposal.  She 
answered  him  indignantly:  "  Sir,  that  is  not  the 
custom  of  our  people ! '  The  packer  could  speak 
their  language,  and  their  conversation  was  in  the 
Apache  tongue. 

I  thought  that  as  an  experiment  I  would  try  the 
same  phrase,  if  the  interpreter  could  add  a  little  to 
it  and  translate  it  into  Apache,  thus:  "  It  is  not 
the  custom  of  our  people  for  a  man  to  have  more 
than  one  wife." 

14 


224          MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

As  soon  as  this  was  translated  the  young  women 
turned  away  and  went  back  to  their  husband's 
lodging-place,  apparently  satisfied  with  my  re 
joinder. 

Just  as  I  was  leaving  for  home  via  San  Fran 
cisco  Cochise  looked  at  me  a  moment,  then  stepping 
forward  and  putting  his  arms  around  me,  said  in 
plain  English :  ' '  Good-bye ! ' '  Thus  we  separated. 

On  Monday  evening  we  were  in  Tucson.  Here 
a  lively  opposition  was  shown  to  what  I  had  done. 
The  people  and  the  local  newspapers  declared  that 
I  had  protected  Cochise  against  deserved  punish 
ment.  Nobody  believed  that  he  would  keep  the 
peace  beyond  the  ensuing  winter  months.  Still,  in 
spite  of  the  clamor,  the  citizens  gave  those  Indians 
a  fair  chance  to  keep  their  word. 

Six  years  after  the  above  events  a  letter  from 
an  Indian  inspector,  who  had  been  among  these 
Apaches  to  learn  their  condition  and  needs,  said 
that  they  told  him  I  had  made  a  good  peace,  add 
ing:  "  General  Howard  placed  the  stone  on  the 
mesa  and  told  us  that  as  long  as  that  stone  should 
last  so  long  would  the  peace  continue.  The  stone 
still  lies  on  the  mesa  and  we  are  still  at  peace." 

Cochise  kept  his  promise  while  he  lived,  and 
his  eldest  son  preserved  the  peace  until  his  death. 
On  a  visit  to  Washington  in  1876  this. son  was  at 
tacked  with  a  fever  which  resulted  fatally.  I 
happened  to  be  in  that  city  at  the  time  and  attended 
his  funeral. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  entire  tribe  kept  faith 
as  long  as  our  government  did,  but  at  last,  on 
recommendation  of  a  new  agent,  they  were  taken 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  225 

by  force  and  put  with  the  San  Carlos  Indians. 
The  consequence  was  that  a  part  of  them  went  off 
under  the  notorious  Geronimo,  and  among  them 
was  the  boy  Natchez,  Cochise's  son.  An  Indian 
\var  of  the  worst  sort  followed. 

Military  operations  in  1887,  in  which  Generals 
Crook  and  Miles  participated,  finally  captured  a 
remnant  of  this  band,  including  Natchez.  They 
were  sent  as  prisoners  to  Florida  and  taken  thence 
to  Mount  Vernon  barracks,  Alabama,  and  were 
kept  at  one  of  my  posts  for  six  years,— the  last 
years  of  my  active  service  in  the  army. 

On  my  visits  of  inspection  they  always  exhibited 
confidence  and  great  affection.  Prom  them  were 
formed  two  Indian  companies  that  did  themselves 
credit  while  we  were  permitted  to  have  Indian 
troops. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

ASSIGNED  TO  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  COLUMBIA,  EM 
BRACING  ALL  THE  NORTHWEST  — THE  MODOCS 
AND  THE  MODOC  WAR. 

An  Arduous  Task  —  Ordered  to  Report  to  General  W.  T.  Sherman  — 
Assigned  to  the  Department  of  the  Columbia  —  A  Field  Embracing 
Oregon,  Washington,  Idaho,  and  Alaska  —  My  Arrival  at  Port 
land,  Oregon  —  The  Modocs  and  their  Chief,  "  Captain  Jack  "  — 
Causes  that  Led  to  the  Modoc  War  —  Old  Hostilities  Revived  — 
Attempting  to  Arrest  the  Leaders  —  The  Modoc  Strongholds  in 
the  Lava  Beds  —  Massacre  of  General  Canby  and  of  Dr.  Thomas 
—  Defeat  and  Capture  of  the  Modocs  —  "  Scar-faced  Charlie  "  — 
End  of  the  Modoc  Campaign. 

IMMEDIATELY  after  the  close  of  the  Civil  War 
I  was  engaged  for  nine  years  in  matters  per 
taining  to  freedmen  and  refugees;  the  latter 
were  whites  disturbed  by  the  operations  of  war  in 
the  regions  between  the  Union  and  the  Confed 
erate  armies.  My  work  embraced  the  payment  of 
bounties  and  claims,  particularly  the  back-pay  of 
soldiers.  This  period  extended  from  the  12th  of 
May,  1865,  to  August,  1874,  having,  as  we  have 
seen,  an  interruption  of  about  one  year,  which  was 
devoted  to  the  settlement  of  Indian  difficulties  in 
Arizona  and  New  Mexico.  Of  this  period  all  that 
concerned  the  freedmen  and  refugees,  the  colored 
soldiers  and  the  white  population,  has  been  treated 
of  by  me  in  a  separate  volume  entitled  the  "  Period 
of  Eeconstruction. " 

The  famous  bureau  of  which  I  had  charge  be 
gan  with  an  extension  to  all  the  functions  of  gov- 


• 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  227 

eminent,  and  touched  every  subject  where  the 
welfare  of  the  people,  without  distinction  of  race, 
was  involved.  As  it  proceeded  it  was  able  to  throw 
off  one  function  after  another  until  during  the  last 
three  years  it  devoted  itself  to  little  else  than  the 
development  and  regulation  of  the  schools  under 
its  charge,  and  the  payment  of  bounties  and  back 
pay  to  colored  soldiers.  When  at  last  the  bureau 
was  closed  all  payments  devolved  directly  upon 
the  Adjutant-General's  Department. 

Being  relieved  from  this  duty,  I  reported  back 
to  General  W.  T.  Sherman,  then  commanding  the 
army.  I  endeavored  to  exercise  some  choice  as  to 
a  position,  thinking  that  my  rank  and  previous 
hard  service  entitled  me  to  express  a  preference. 
But  Sherman  wrote  me  that  after  so  much  duty  at 
Washington— which  was  regarded  by  officers  of 
the  army  as  easy  and  desirable— I  must  not  pre 
sume  to  pick  and  choose  my  department.  Really, 
the  bureau  labor  was  the  most  onerous  of  any 
ever  imposed  upon  me.  Fortunately,  however,  he 
sent  me  to  the  farthest  corner  of  the  Republic, 
namely,  to  the  Department  of  the  Columbia,  with 
headquarters  at  Portland,  Oregon,— a  department 
that  embraced  Oregon,  Washington,  a  large  part 
of  Idaho,  and  Alaska. 

Arriving  at  Portland  the  25th  of  August,  I 
assumed  command  September  1st,  relieving  Jef 
ferson  C.  Davis,  who  from  a  major-general  on  re 
duction  of  the  army  had  become  colonel  of  the 
Twenty-third  Infantry. 

Davis  was  hurt  at  being  displaced  after  the 
distinguished  and  loyal  service  he  had  rendered, 


228          MY   LIFE   AND   PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

especially  in  the  Modoc  campaign,  which  had  then 
just  ended.  The  Modocs  were  located  in  the  south 
ern  part  of  my  department,  and  with  them  I  had 
very  little  to  do  except  to  send  a  remnant  of  them, 
escorted  by  my  aide-de-camp  and  a  few  soldiers, 
to  the  Indian  Territory. 

The  treachery  of  "  Captain  Jack,"  the  Modoc 
chief,  and  his  followers,  the  massacre  of  General 
Canby  and  his  companions,  the  prolonged  strife 
which  a  few  Indians  had  waged  against  our  many 
troops,  the  efficient  work  of  General  Davis  in 
grandly  closing  up  the  campaign,  executing  Captain 
Jack  and  a  few  guilty  leaders  by  hanging,— all  this 
was  over,  and  peace,  for  a  time,  reigned  throughout 
the  immense  territory  where  the  troops  in  Alaska 
and  those  in  Idaho  were  more  than  a  thousand 
miles  apart.  Davis  and  I,  though  he  was  much 
disappointed,  had  no  personal  feeling,  for  he  grace 
fully  yielded  his  command  and  went  back  to  the 
sole  charge  of  his  regiment. 

I  had  the  opportunity  more  than  once  to  visit 
Fort  Klamath  and  go  over  the  rough  lands  occu 
pied  by  the  Modocs,  and  to  observe  many  of  those 
that  remained  after  the  removal  of  the  tribe. 

There  were  in  the  Modoc  country  three  general 
groupings  of  Indians.  In  eastern  Oregon,  north 
and  south  of  the  line  which  separates  Oregon  from 
California,  the  country  was  largely  inhabited  by 
the  Klamaths.  East  of  the  Klamaths  and  west  of 
the  Cascade  range  of  mountains,  over  a  similar 
extent  of  territory,  were  the  Modocs  and  a  tribe 
known  as  the  Snakes.  The  latter  were  not  the 
same  as  the  so-called  Snakes  of  the  interior.  These 


AMONG  OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  229 

tribes  were  at  war  with  each  other  long  before 
white  men  came  to  share  their  possessions  and 
little  by  little  to  displace  them. 

As  early  as  1865  a  sufficient  number  of  Indians 
from  these  three  tribes  were  brought  together  for 
a  council.  Those  in  conference,  assuming  to  repre 
sent  all  the  Indians  (as  they  did  not  and  could 
not),  made  a  bargain  with  the  United  States.  Our 
people  gave  them  a  reasonably  large  reservation, 
and  procured  as  a  quid  pro  quo  from  the  Indians 
from  fifteen  to  twenty  thousand  square  miles  of  the 
rough  land  of  that  region.  For  this  an  appropria 
tion  of  seventeen  thousand  dollars  was  to  be  made. 
At  no  time  did  the  government  agent  succeed  in 
gathering  about  his  agency  even  a  majority  of  the 
Modocs.  A  part  of  the  tribe,  who  had  suffered  at 
one  time  a  terrible  massacre  at  the  hands  of  white 
men,  were  hostile  to  going  upon  any  reservation, 
and  in  fact  were  hostile  to  the  white  men  them 
selves,  and  to  all  Indians  that  had  traded  lands  for 
such  a  paltry  compensation. 

The  Modocs'  original  location  was  in  the  rough 
est  sort  of  woodland  and  pasturage,  among  the 
Lava  Beds,  a  wild  region  in  northern  California 
and  southern  Oregon,  near  Tule  Lake.  It  seems 
strange  that  anybody  should  have  desired  to  take 
from  them  their  old  habitations,  which  occupied 
about  forty  square  miles  of  as  dreary  and  unin 
viting  a  region  as  men  could  inhabit  and  live  upon. 
Probably  it  was  the  hope  of  those  who  were  pros 
pecting  for  mines  to  find  some  favorable  indica 
tions  among  the  volcanic  and  basaltic  heaps  of 
stone  and  lava  which  strew  the  open  fields  for  miles 


230  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

and  miles  north  and  east  of  the  lake— a  hope  that 
always  promotes  a  covetous  disposition. 

After  some  of  the  Modocs  had  made  a  trial  of 
life  upon  a  Klamath  reservation  difficulties  arose, 
old  hostilities  were  revived,  the  government's 
promises  were  unfulfilled,  and  the  pledged  money 
long  delayed,  so  that  suddenly  every  Modoc  rushed 
away  and  all  went  back  to  their  former  desolate 
homes.  A  new  agent  made  requisition  for  the 
troops  at  Fort  Klamath  to  go  out  and  arrest  the 
leaders  and  bring  back  the  Indians.  Against  this 
the  Indians  protested,  Captain  Jack  being  their 
spokesman.  He  begged  for  peace  and  peace  meas 
ures,  but  declared  that  the  Indians  would  not  yield 
to  force.  Of  course  the  troops  persevered  and 
bloodshed  followed.  Then  the  Indian  captain  led 
his  people  to  the  stronghold  of  the  Lava  Beds,  and 
stayed  there  fighting  our  troops  till  forty  soldiers 
or  more  had  been  killed  and  wounded.  On  the  way 
to  the  Lava  Beds,  passing  a  white  settlement,  white 
men  and  boys  were  slain  by  the  Modocs,  but  for 
once  the  white  women  and  younger  children  were 
spared. 

At  no  time  did  Captain  Jack's  soldiers  exceed 
a  hundred  warriors,  yet  for  months  they  held  an 
army  six  times  their  number  at  bay.  Among  their 
last  acts  was  the  massacre  of  General  Canby  and 
of  Dr.  Thomas,  an  Indian  commissioner,  effected 
by  treachery.  A  few  weeks  passed  and  these  In 
dians  were  conquered.  Captain  Jack  and  three 
others  were  tried  for  murder  by  a  military  com 
mission,  found  guilty,  and  a  few  weeks  later  were 
executed  at  Fort  Klamath. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  231 

My  aide-de-camp  took  charge  of  about  a  hun 
dred  of  those  who  were  banished  and  ordered  to  the 
Indian  Territory.  He  handcuffed  several  of  the 
men  who  had  been  in  the  fights,  and  for  a  while 
kept  these  irons  upon  them  as  they  journeyed  by  rail 
to  the  east,  but  their  disposition  was  so  evidently 
good,  and  they  were  so  thoroughly  obedient,  that 
he  ventured  to  remove  their  uncouth  bracelets. 
After  that  all  the  Indians  of  his  party  showed 
themselves  grateful  for  his  kindness  and  helped 
him  in  every  possible  way  to  make  the  journey 
agreeable  to  him  as  well  as  to  themselves. 

One  strong  reason  why  the  Modocs  struggled 
so  hard  to  remain  near  Tule  Lake  was  what  has 
been  recorded  as  their  special  superstition,  —  "  To 
live,  die,  and  be  buried  where  they  were  born." 
One  of  their  favorite  leaders,  usually  called 
"  Curley-headed  Jack,"  when  he  was  about  to  be 
taken  to  Fort  Klamath  by  the  soldiers  shot  himself 
with  a  pistol  and  died  in  the  arms  of  his  mother. 
Though  the  other  Indians  of  his  party  felt  the  same 
repugnance  to  leaving  their  territory  and  mourned 
deeply  for  him,  yet  they  did  not  go  so  far  as  to  take 
their  lives. 

It  was  the  custom  to  bury  with  a  deceased 
Modoc  whatever  belonged  to  him  and  could  be  so 
disposed  of,  such  as  clothing,  ornaments,  and  at 
times  even  coin.  They  also  put  into  the  grave  some 
kind  of  food  to  sustain  him  on  his  journey  to  the 
Happy  Hunting  Grounds. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THREATENED  HOSTILITIES  —  A  TRIBE  THAT  CAUSED  TERROR 
TO  THE  WHITE  PEOPLE  OF  THE  NORTHWEST. 

Twenty-five  Distinct  Tribes   of   Indians   in  my   New   Field  —  The   Nez 
Percys  —  Their  Dress  and  'Appearance  —  Decoration  of  Their  Horses 

—  Fondness  for  Bright  Colors  and  Picturesque  Attires  —  Fanciful 
Dress  of  the  Children  —  The   Famous   Nez  Perce"   Chief  Joseph  — 
An    Indian    Feud  — -Chief    White    Bird    and    His    Band  —  Indian 
'*'  Dreamers  "    and    "  Tooats  "  —  A    Lazy    Interpreter  —  A    Message 
from  Chief  Joseph  —  A  Dignified  Procession  —  A  Ceremonious  Call 

—  Clinging  to   Old  Haunts  —  "We  Want  Nothing  from  You"  — 
Efforts  to  Avert  the  War. 

WITHIN  my  northwestern  military  juris 
diction  I  soon  found  that  I  had  twenty- 
five  distinct  tribes  of  Indians.  They  were 
under  the  care  of  nine  agencies,  five  of  which  com 
bined  several  tribes  in  their  charge.  Each  of  the 
remaining  four  had  charge  of  a  separate  tribe,  as 
f ollows :  The  Simcoe  Indians,  under  Mr.  Wilbur, 
were  north  of  the  Columbia  River  and  just  east  of 
the  Coast  Range  of  mountains ;  the  Warm  Spring 
tribe,  under  Captain  Smith,  was  far  south  of  the 
Columbia  and  amid  the  foothills  of  the  same  range ; 
the  Nez  Perces,  under  J.  B.  Monteith,  were  above 
Lewiston,  Idaho,  and  occupied  a  large  country; 
and  the  Skokomish  bands,  under  Mr.  Eels,  were  on 
Puget  Sound.  Mr.  Cornoyer,  who  had  married  a 
Cayuse  wife,  managed  the  Umatilla  agency,  but 
had  various  other  tribes  besides  the  Cayuses  under 
his  care.  General  Mikoy,  who  achieved  fame  dur 
ing  the  Civil  War  for  almost  reckless  bravery,  had 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  233 

his  headquarters  at  Olympia,  and  looked  after 
various  tribes  up  and  down  the  coast. 

These  Indians  were  particularly  fond  of  orna 
ment  and  display.  I  have  often  watched  them  at 
Indian  gatherings  on  feast  and  council  days,  and 
noticed  how  careful  the  men  were  of  their  personal 
appearance,  and  how  painstakingly  they  decorated 
the  manes  and  tails  of  their  horses  with  bright- 
colored  strips  of  cloth.  The  women  were  dressed 
in  the  gayest  clothes  they  could  command  for  such 
occasions.  When  passing  in  review  the  men  and 
women  rode  separately,  and  all  intoned  an  Indian 
song  or  chant  that  no  doubt  gave  expression  to  their 
feelings. 

In  illustrated  newspapers  the  Nez  Perces  were 
frequently  shown  in  the  old  stereotyped  manner 
usually  followed  in  portraying  wild  Indians.  They 
were  represented  as  being  mounted  on  sleek  and 
prancing  chargers,  naked  above  the  waist,  hair  as 
stiff  and  bristling  as  porcupine  quills,  long  lances 
poised  high  in  air  and  ready  to  strike,  and  so  on. 
Neither  in  peace  nor  war  do  they  so  appear.  In 
these  days  the  Nez  Perce  prefers  the  rifle  and  usu 
ally  he  has  the  best.  Those  of  them  who  remained 
at  peace  during  my  stay  in  the  Northwest  dressed 
like  the  white  people  as  near  as  they  could,  though 
their  dress  varied  according  to  the  degree  of  civil 
ization  to  which  any  body  of  them  had  attained. 
The  men  averaged  about  five  feet  eight  inches  in 
height,  and  perhaps  one  hundred  and  forty  pounds 
in  weight.  They  wore  their  hair  cut  short.  They 
looked,  when  on  foot,  like  tho  Spanish-speaking  in 
habitants  of  Arizona ;  when  mounted  they  sat  upon 


234  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

their  horses  firmly  and  naturally  and  were  more 
graceful  in  their  motions  than  the  Mexicans  or  our 
own  frontiersmen. 

The  women  wore  their  hair  long  enough  to  reach 
down  the  neck,  sometimes  banged  in  front,  and- 
sometimes  tied  back  with  bits  of  ribbon.  Their 
skirts,  even  for  young  girls,  were  never  short. 
They  had  a  fondness  for  bright  shawls,  and  wore 
them  pulled  over  the  head  so  that  the  face  was  half 
hidden.  At  the  Lapwai  agency,  on  gala  occasions, 
I  noticed  an  almost  universal  use  of  handkerchiefs 
of  bright  colors,  which  seemed  to  take  the  place  of 
shawls.  To  the  beholder  the  effect  was  picturesque 
in  the  extreme. 

Some  families  dressed  their  children  as  fanci 
fully  as  whites  do,  but  usually  the  little  ones  had 
only  such  plain,  cheap  garments  as  the  traders 
furnished.  When  our  people  first  met  the  Nez 
Perces  a  century  ago,  they  were  then  comfortably 
clad  in  dressed  deer-skin  and  furs,  and  took  pains, 
as  our  soldiers  did,  to  keep  the  old  white  belt  ever 
white  and  new  by  the  use  of  chalk.  They  are  just 
as  painstaking  today  in  their  manners  and  dress. 

In  a  rich  valley  called  Imnaha  I  found  two 
young  men— Joseph  and  Ollicut.  Their  father, 
who  had  not  been  long  deceased,  was  called  Joseph, 
but  usually  in  later  years  "  Old  Joseph."  For  a 
while,  when  the  famous  missionary  Mr.  Spalding 
held  his  mission  and  school  on  the  Lapwai  reserva 
tion,  Old  Joseph  and  his  family  went  there  to  get 
the  advantages  offered  by  the  mission.  The  boys 
succeeded  in  obtaining  a  smattering  of  knowledge, 
and  the  family  was  inclined  to  accept  the  condi- 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE    INDIANS  235 

tions  of  civilization,  including  the  use  of  the  plow 
and  the  hoe;  but  a  feud  sprung  up  between  Old 
Joseph  and  another  hereditary  chief,  forcing  the 
old  man  to  leave  the  Lapwai  reservation  and  go 
back  to  settle  in  Imnaha  Valley,  just  over  the 
boundary  in  Oregon,  there  to  occupy  the  Grande 
Eonde  country.  Joseph  had  under  him  a  large 
band  of  followers  and  they  owned  many  horses. 
At  Imnaha  they  found  great  abundance  of  grass 
of  the  best  sort  (the  bunch  grass),  and  fertile 
ground  for  their  corn  whenever  their  superstitious 
inclinations  would  permit  them  to  plant  it.  It  was 
declared  by  most  of  them  that  they  could  find 
enough  fruits  to  subsist  upon,  which  grow  of  them 
selves,  without  disturbing  the  soil  to  raise  others. 

Other  bands  had  gone  off  to  the  east,  to  the 
south,  and  to  the  west  from  Lapwai ;  indeed  many 
of  them  had  never  come  at  all  within  the  bound 
aries  of  that  well-chosen  government  reservation. 

In  1876  and  1877  the  Nez  Perces  were  the  cause 
of  a  reign  of  terror  among  the  white  people,  fol 
lowed  by  great  expense  to  the  general  government. 
It  is  not  difficult  to  trace  the  causes  which  led  to 
the  subsequent  disaster.  The  Nez  Perces,  before 
Joseph's  war,  prided  themselves  upon  never  hav 
ing  shed  white  men's  blood,  and  their  steady  pur 
pose  was  to  live  at  peace  with  them.  They,  min 
gling  with  the  Flatheads,  had  early  heard  about  the 
white  men,  and  sent  messengers  to  learn  the  truth 
and  the  causes  of  our  civilization.  After  the  return 
of  these  messengers,  they  had  always  welcomed  our 
people,  whether  coming  as  "  Bostons  "—a  term 
they  applied  to  white  soldiers— as  English  fur 


236  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

traders,  or  as  missionaries.  Mr.  Spalding  and  Ms 
saintly  wife,  always  beloved  and  trusted  by  the  In 
dians,  had  succeeded  in  increasing  their  regard  for 
the  white  men  of  the  east. 

In  1855,  when  Governor  Isaac  Stevens  made  a 
treaty  with  them,  which  was  confirmed  by  the  Sen 
ate  of  the  United  States,  he  defined  the  boundaries 
of  a  Nez  Perce  reservation.  The  immense  territory 
set  apart  for  them  was  so  extensive  as  to  take  in 
Old  Joseph  and  his  people  and  all  the  other  bands 
which  bore  the  name  of  Nez  Perces.  It  embraced 
an  area  half  as  large  as  the  state  of  New  York,  a 
diversified  and  rich  country  of  rivers,  valleys, 
wroodland,  mountains,  and  mines  of  various  de 
scriptions.  Even  then  one  might  have  predicted 
that  the  time  would  surely  come  when  white  men 
would  insist  upon  the  reduction  of  those  ample 
limits. 

The  time  was  not  long  in  coming.  As  soon  as 
Oregon  was  secured  to  our  people  a  flood  of  immi 
gration  set  in,  and  in  due  time  encroachments  were 
made  on  Indian  lands ;  indeed,  white  settlers  never 
could  be  made  to  understand  the  reasons  for  treaties 
with  Indians,  nor  the  justice  of  protecting  them  in 
their  reservations  against  the  encroachments  of  the 
whites. 

Eight  years  after  the  first  treaty,  another  bar 
gain  was  made  with  a  body  of  Nez  Perce  Indians 
gathered  in  council.  The  new  treaty  left  out  Im- 
naha,  Wallowa,  and  all  the  Grande  Eonde  Valley, 
now  occupied  by  several  thriving  cities.  True,  a 
majority  of  the  Indians  agreed  to  the  new  treaty, 
but  this  caused  a  fatal  division  among  the  Nez 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  237 

Perces,  which  eventually  brought  about  dreadful 
results.  Two  parties  opposed  each  other  from  that 
time  on.  Those  within  the  reservation  at  Lapwai 
were  the  "  treaty  Indians";  all  the  others  were 
known  as  the  "  non-treaty  Indians." 

Of  the  non-treaty  chieftains  White  Bird  had  the 
largest  band.  He  dwelt  in  the  Salmon  Eiver  Val 
ley,  and  his  followers  occupied  that  valley  and  its 
feeders.  The  White  Bird  Canyon  was  a  favorite 
gathering  place  for  these  wild  Nez  Perces,  who 
were  rich  in  cattle  and  in  horses.  Between  the 
Salmon  and  the  Snake  Rivers,  for  the  most  part  a 
rough,  mountainous  fastness,  dwelt  another  band 
under  a  strange  leader  called  "  Too-hul-hul-sote. " 
He  was  not  a  real  chieftain  as  the  Indians  reckon 
it,  but  a  "  Dreamer,"  named  by  the  Nez  Perces  a 
Tooat. 

South  of  the  Snake  River,  above  the  mouth  of 
the  Grande  Ronde,  a  river  full  of  rocks,  rapids, 
and  falls,  comes  in  a  famous  stream  called  "  Asotin 
Creek."  Along  this  creek  was  another  small  band 
which  made  common  cause  with  the  non-treaties. 

Off  to  the  westward  was  still  another  roving  set 
of  non-treaties.  They  fished  in  the  Snake  River 
and  hunted  far  and  near  in  the  rugged  country 
south  and  east  of  Lewiston.  Hush-hush-cute  was 
their  young  chieftain,  pleasant  and  courteous  in 
deportment,  but  never  considered  by  white  men  to 
be  reliable.  He  was  a  favorite  associate  of  young 
Joseph. 

On  the  reservation  itself  was  to  be  found  a 
majority  of  the  Indians  whom  I  have  described  as 
treaty  Indians,  i.  e.,  the  Nez  Perces  proper.  They 


238  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

were  divided  into  Protestant  and  Roman  Catholic 
Indians,  and  had  a  United  States  agency  near  Fort 
Lapwai,  and  a  sub-agency  at  Kamiah  on  the  Clear 
Water  about  seventy  miles  from  Lewiston.  James 
Lawyer,  an  intelligent  farmer,  had  been  elected  as 
the  chief  of  the  tribe.  The  Catholic  Indians  lived 
on  Little  Mission  Creek,  some  eight  miles  from 
Lapwai.  Here  they  had  a  village  to  themselves 
to  which  they  were  greatly  attached  because  it  was 
near  their  mission.  A  sub-chief,  with  whom  I  had 
much  to  do,  was  named  Jonah.  James  Reuben,  the 
son  of  a  former  head  chief,  a  very  scholarly  man 
who  had  translated  the  gospel  of  John  into  Nez 
Perce,  was  for  two  years  my  interpreter,  friend, 
and  helper.  The  whole  number  of  these  reserva 
tion  Nez  Perces  when  I  first  met  them  was  esti 
mated  as  between  two  and  three  thousand. 

Early  in  1875  I  visited  Umatilla  and  there  met 
Mr.  Cornoyer,  also  Mr.  McBean,  the  interpreter. 
Mr.  Cornoyer,  a  light-hearted  Frenchman,  intro 
duced  me  to  his  three  beautiful  daughters, — the 
Indian  mother  we  seldom  had  a  glimpse  of,— and 
I  was  royally  entertained.  McBean  had  a  great 
reputation  as  an  interpreter.  He  was  stout  and 
inclined  to  be  lazy.  Whether  his  interpretations 
were  always  correct  was  better  known  to  himself 
than  to  anybody  else. 

Not  long  after  my  arrival  McBean  came  in  and 
said:  "  Here  is  a  messenger  from  Joseph.  He 
and  ten  of  his  Indians  are  at  Young  Chief's  camp. 
Joseph  and  his  tillicums*  want  to  have  a  talk  with 
the  agent  and  with  the  new  commander." 

*  Tillicums  signifies  Indian  people. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  239 

Soon  eleven  of  these  Nez  Perces  made  their 
appearance.  They  were  strikingly  tall,  much  more 
so  than  the  average  Nez  Perce,  were  in  good  flesh, 
and  clad  in  Indian  costumes  such  as  I  have  de 
scribed.  Each  one  had  a  blanket  on  his  shoulder 
or  near  at  hand.  They  came  on,  one  at  a  time,  in 
dignified  procession  and  took  first  the  agent 's  hand, 
afterwards  mine.  Young  Joseph  opened  his  dark 
eyes  upon  me  and  studied  my  face  with  care.  His 
fixed  gaze  did  not  annoy  me,  for  I  had  a  feeling 
that  he  not  only  wanted  to  read  my  thoughts  but  in 
some  way  to  show  me  his  own  good  disposition. 
For  a  long  time  after  that  interview  the  young 
man  and  I  were  apparently  the  best  of  friends. 
V  At  this  first  meeting  his  message  was  short.  It 
is,  as  I  recorded  it  at  the  time:  "I  heard *that 
Washington  had  some  message  for  me.  I  came  to 
visit  my  friends  among  the  Cayuses.  Young  Chief 
told  me  to  speak  to  the  agent.  That  is  all."  I 
simply  told  him  that  there  were  no  new  instruc 
tions  from  Washington,  but  that  I  was  glad  to  see 
him  and  make  his  acquaintance. 

The  eleven  then  immediately  retired  with  the 
same  formal  ceremony  and  dignity  that  had  char 
acterized  their  coming,  and  after  remaining  a  short 
time  with  the  Cayuses,  went  back  to  their  home  in 
Wallowa. 

This  visit  fulfilled  the  prophecy  made  by  Gen 
eral  Davis  the  previous  year  concerning  the  non- 
treaties  in  the  Imnaha  valley.  He  reported,  in  ef 
fect,  that  a  collision  with  Joseph  would  come  sooner 
or  later,  that  the  Indians  were  very  restless,  and 
that  the  real  cause  of  their  discontent  was  that 

15 


240  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

their  beautiful  country  was  being  more  and  more 
encroached  upon  every  year  by  enterprising  and 
covetous  white  settlers. 

As  no  order  for  the  Indians'  removal  had  been 
enforced  they  had  hoped  to  stay  permanently 
where  they  were.  They  were  clinging  to  their  old 
haunts  and  herding  their  ponies  upon  the  rich  grass 
lands  of  Wallowa,  whilst  white  men  who  were 
gathered  in  settlements  near  at  hand  were  taking 
up  land  as  fast  as  it  could  be  surveyed,  erecting 
houses  upon  it,  and  putting  up  extensive  fencing 
in  plain  sight  of  the  protesting  and  irritated  In 
dians. 

Governor  Grover  of  Oregon  naturally  took  the 
side  of  the  settlers,  and  had  succeeded  in  getting 
their  petition  heard  at  Washington,  so  that  all  the 
lands  that  had  belonged  to  the  Indians  in  that 
quarter  (Oregon)  had  been  secured  by  a  presiden 
tial  order  in  favor  of  the  new  farming  and  stock- 
raising  settlements,  and  against  Indian  occupancy. 

After  all  these  statements  concerning  the  rela 
tions  between  Indians  and  white  men,  and  the  favor 
shown  to  the  whites  by  government  officials,  I  will 
repeat  here  what  I  have  previously  asserted,  for  it 
is  my  conviction,  that  the  main  cause  of  the  bloody 
Nez  Perce  war  that  followed  lay  back  of  ideas  of 
legal  ownership,  back  of  savage  habits  and  in 
stincts  ;  it  rested  in  the  natural  and  persistent  re 
sistance  of  independent  or  "  dependent  "  nations 
to  the  authority  of  other  nations.  The  non-treaty 
Indians  denied  the  jurisdiction  which  the  United 
States  claimed  over  them.  Everything  that  they 
might  want  was  offered  and  extended  to  them  if 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  243 

they  would  submit  to  governmental  authority 
which  the  United  States  agents  exercised.  They 
answered,  sometimes  very  roughly:  "  We  want 
nothing  from  you.  We  have  not  given  you  our 
land.  You  have  no  right  to  take  it  from  us.  Wash 
ington  cannot  divide  up  the  country  and  give  it  to 
anybody."  Too-hul-hul-sote,  one  of  the  confed 
erates  whom  Joseph  trusted,  always  rough  and 
ugly,  said  to  me  in  council :  "  We  will  go  where  we 
please,  and  when  we  please,  and  do  as.  we  please. 
Who  gave  Washington  rule  over  me  ?  ' 

In  1876,  after  an  Indian  had  been  killed  by  a 
white  man  in  a  dispute  concerning  some  stock,  I 
entreated  the  President  to  send  a  good  commission 
with  sufficient  power  to  settle  these  Nez  Perce  dif 
ficulties.  At  last  the  commission  came  and  held 
its  session  at  Lapwai  in  November,  1876.  No  better 
men  could  have  been  selected  for  that  purpose. 
They  tried  their  best  to  get  the  consent  of  Joseph, 
Ollicut,  and  the  other  non-treaty  Indians  to  a  set 
tlement  of  all  their  troubles.  At  one  time  the 
younger  men,  seemingly  influenced  by  a  spirit  of 
peace  and  good  will,  were  on  the  point  of  yielding 
to  the  persuasion  of  the  commissioners. 

Just  then  the  "  Dreamers  "  came  in  with  their 
characteristic  talks  and  prophecies  and  turned  the 
tide  against  the  measures  of  adjustment.  The 
Dreamers  asserted  that  if  the  Indians  would  con 
tinue  faithful  to  old  teachings  "  a  leader  would  be 
raised  up  in  the  east  who  would  restore  all  the  dead 
Indians  to  life,  and  who  would  unite  them  in  ex 
pelling  the  whites  from  their  country;  then  they 
would  repossess  the  lands  of  their  ancestors." 


244  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

It  must  be  remembered  that  Joseph  and  his 
confederates  set  up  an  absolute  title  to  the  lands 
and  claimed  an  independent  sovereignty;  so  that 
any  adjustment  that  the  commission  could  have 
effected  would  have  been,  like  so  many  other  com 
promises,  simply  temporary. 

The  commission  recommended  that  Joseph  be 
required  to  come  on  the  Lapwai  reservation  and 
reside  permanently  within  its  limits. 

In  process  of  time  orders  came  from  Washing 
ton  to  carry  out  the  recommendation  of  the  com 
mission.  They  were  directed  to  the  United  States 
Indian  agent,  J.  B.  Monteith,  and,  I  being  in  com 
mand  of  the  troops,  instructions  were  sent  to  me 
to  cooperate  with  and  aid  the  Indian  agent.  Mon 
teith  at  once,  early  in  January,  1877,  sent  messen 
gers  bearing  an  order  to  Joseph  and  to  the  other 
outside  chieftains :  ' '  Come  on  the  Lapwai  reser 
vation."  Instead  of  heeding  the  message  the  In 
dians,  who  were  in  constant  communication  with 
each  other,  were  vigorously  preparing  for  war. 
In  March,  Mr.  Cornoyer  visited  me  in  Portland 
and  told  me  that  Joseph  wanted  to  make  him  a 
visit,  because  he  was  sure  that  the  interpreters  of 
Lapwai  had  not  properly  spoken  for  him. 

I  answered:  "  Encourage  them  to  come  and  I 
will  send  my  aide,  Major  Boyle,  a  judicious  officer 
of  long  experience  with  Indians,  to  represent  me 
at  the  council,  and  to  hear  and  report  what  they 
have  to  say." 

The  council  was  held,  but  Joseph 's  brother  Olli- 
cut,  not  Joseph  himself,  came.  He  had  great  in 
fluence  with  Joseph,  and  when  he  spoke  in  a  public 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  245 

council  Joseph  immediately  accepted  Ollicut's 
promises  as  his  own.  In  private  Ollicut  urged  war 
measures,  taking  the  side  of  the  more  reckless  of 
his  tribe.  To  him  the  prospect  of  battles  with 
white  men  had  a  charm  which  he  could  not  well 
resist.  No  fruit  came  from  this  conference  except 
a  promise  from  me  to  have  another  interview  with 
Joseph  and  his  people  the  20th  of  the  ensuing 
April. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

MY  ARRIVAL  AT  FORT  LAPWAI  —  GROWING  DISCONTENT  AND 

INSOLENCE  OF  THE  INDIANS  —  FEARS  OF 

AN  OUTBREAK. 

An  Important  Indian  Council  —  Happy  "  Medicine  Men  "  —  A  Pictur 
esque  Indian  Procession  —  A  Suspicious  Gathering  —  A  Fear-inspir 
ing  Song  —  My  Plain  Talk  to  Chief  Joseph  —  His  Reply  —  "  They 
Treat  me  like  a  Dog  "  —  Growing  Excitement  —  Defiant  Attitude 
of  the  Hostiles  —  Ominous  Signs  —  Efforts  to  Conciliate  the  In 
dians —  An  Immediate  Uprising  Threatened  —  A  Fierce  Rejoinder 
—  "I  am  the  Man  "  —  An  Obstinate  and  Angry  Indian  —  Thrust 
ing  a  Mischiefmaker  out  of  the  Council  —  Averting  the  Crisis  —  A 
Distrusted  Indian  Chief. 

TAKING  Captain  Wilkinson  with  me,  I  left 
my  headquarters  April  16,  1877,  and  was  at 
Walla  Walla  by  the  18th.    Colonel  Grover, 
a  brother  officer  in  Civil  War  time,  took  me  to  his 
house  on  my  arrival,  where  he  and  his  good  wife 
extended  a  generous  hospitality. 

The  Indians  did  not  appear  till  about  6  P.  M. 
of  the  19th.  Ollicut  came  to  the  western  gate  and 
stated  in  the  most  courteous  manner  that  Joseph 
was  ill  so  that  he,  Ollicut,  had  come  to  represent 
him.  I  promised  to  give  him  an  interview  the  next 
day  in  the  presence  of  his  Indians,  and  he  turned 
away  to  select  a  camp  for  the  night.  It  was  ar 
ranged  that  the  council  should  be  held  in  the  band 
quarters,  and  we  gathered  in  the  large,  low-ceiled 
room  at  about  10  o'clock  in  the  morning.  It  w^as 
soon  well  filled,  the  Indians  being  seated  on  rough 
benches  to  the  right,  while  officers  of  the  army  and 


AMONG  OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  247 

some  citizens  were  upon  the  left.  I  took  my  seat, 
with  my  aide  for  a  secretary  near  at  hand,  beside 
a  large  table.  There  was  a  sprinkling  of  ladies 
among  the  officers  and  near  the  doorway. 

After  all  the  preceding  formality  and  remem 
bering  that  the  appointment  had  been  made  long 
in  advance,  I  was  much  disappointed  when  the 
council  closed.  The  Indians  were  outwardly  pleas 
ant,  and  as  dignified  as  usual.  Again  the  wishes  of 
the  government  were  explained  to  them.  They  an 
swered  that  they  were  only  delegates  and  could 
make  no  binding  promises.  They  begged  me  to  fix 
a  date  and  place  for  another  interview  in  order 
that  Joseph,  his  people,  and  other  malcontents 
might  meet  me.  I  promised  that  the  desired  inter 
view  should  take  place  at  Lapwai  in  twelve  days. 
The  whole  appearance  of  the  "  medicine  men,"  of 
Young  Chief,  the  Umatilla  friend  and  advocate, 
of  Ollicut,  and  every  Indian  present  seemed  to 
bespeak  good  will.  Yet  it  may  have  been  a  ruse  on 
the  part  of  the  Indians,  particularly  of  Ollicut,  to 
observe  how  many  troops  there  were  at  Walla 
Walla,  and  the  character  of  our  armament.  They 
had  an  opportunity  before  they  left  of  seeing  a 
review  of  the  small  garrison,  and  the  testing  of  our 
Gatling  guns  for  different  ranges  and  rapidity  of 
firing.  We  shall  see  by  and  by  that  they  learned 
some  other  things  which  were  to  our  disadvantage. 

Before  the  twelve  days  had  expired  I  was  at 
Fort  Lapwai.  The  council  appointed  for  the  3d 
of  May  for  Joseph  and  his  people  began  on  the  day 
designated.  There  were  present  the  agent,  J.  B. 
Monteith,  with  an  interpreter,  then  Joseph  and 


248  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Ollicut,  with  about  fifty  of  Joseph 's  Indians.  The 
council  assembled  out  of  doors  under  some  awn 
ings  carefully  arranged.  The  guard-house  was  on 
one  side  of  the  awnings  and  the  barracks,  with 
soldiers  at  hand,  not  far  off  on  the  other.  I  did 
not  distrust  the  Indians,  but  when  one  makes  a 
preparation  it  is  better  that  it  should  be  complete. 

Before  the  council  assembled  there  was  an  In 
dian  procession,  consisting  of  a  column  of  men  fol 
lowed  by  women  and  children,  all  mounted  on  In 
dian  ponies.  This  time  the  Indians  were  freshly 
and  hideously  painted,  the  bright  red  color  passing 
up  into  the  parting  of  their  hair;  the  hair  of  the 
men  was  braided  and  tied  with  colored  strings,  and 
their  bodies  were  ornamented  with  decorations  of 
different  kinds.  They  had  an  odd  variety  of  hats, 
some  blankets,  leggings  of  buckskin,  and  moccasins, 
some  of  them  covered  with  beads ;  the  women  wore 
bright  shawls  or  blankets,  with  skirts  to  the  ankle, 
and  high  moccasins.  The  effect  was  very  pictur 
esque.  As  Indians  do,  they  kept  us  waiting  long 
enough  in  their  mind  to  produce  an  impression, 
finally  moving  up  slowly  from  their  camp  to  the 
vicinity  of  the  soldiers '  garden. 

As  soon  as  they  had  made  careful  announce 
ment  of  their  purpose  they  struck  up  a  song  and 
slowly  moved  on.  The  men  were  armed  with  toma 
hawks  and  knives,  but  did  not  bring  many  firearms 
from  their  camp.  The  wild  sound  of  their  singing 
did  indeed  produce  upon  every  one  of  us  a  marked 
effect.  I  was  glad  myself  that  the  Indians  were  so 
few.  Their  voices  were  shrill  and  penetrating, 
now  dying  away  to  a  plaintive  wail,  then  bursting 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  249 

into  a  mighty  volume  of  sound  that  was  fear-in 
spiring  in  its  finish.  The  Indians  kept  on  outside 
of  the  fences  until  they  had  made  the  entire  circuit 
of  the  garrison,  ever  repeating  the  blood-curdling 
refrain  of  their  song  as  they  rode.  At  last  Joseph, 
Ollicut,  and  other  leading  Indians  came  to  the 
garrison  from  behind  Colonel  Perry's  quarters. 
They  were  thus  attempting  to  do  honor  to  the^om- 
manding  officer. 

At  the  council  tent  I.  found  two  interpreters, 
Mr.  Whitman  and  James  Reuben,  also  two  aides, 
Captain  Wilkinson  and  Major  Boyle.  Many  of 
ficers  and  ladies  of  the  garrison  had  come  to  the 
conference.  There  were  numerous  treaty  Indians 
gathered  about.  Father  Cataldo,  a  priest  from  the 
Roman  Catholic  mission,  was  also  present.  As 
soon  as  the  Indians  with  Joseph  and  Ollicut  came  in 
and  occupied  the  benches  and  chairs  prepared  for 
them,  the  Catholic  father  opened  the  proceedings 
with  a  brief  prayer  in  the  Nez  Perce  tongue.  Then, 
speaking  to  Joseph  as  the  chief,  I  remarked : 

"  I  heard  from  your  brother  Ollicut  twelve  days 
ago  at  Walla  Walla  that  you  wished  to  see  me.  I 
am  here  to  listen  to  wiiat  you  have  to  say." 

Joseph  replied  that  Chief  White  Bird  was  on 
the  way  and  already  in  the  Craig  Mountains,  and 
that  he  would  be  present  the  next  day.  Joseph 
wanted  all  the  Indians  to  hear.  I  told  him  that  we 
would  wait  for  White  Bird  if  he  wished  us  to  do 
so,  but  if  he  would  immediately  comply  with  the 
wishes  of  the  government  he  could  have  his  pick 
of  the  land.  I  told  him  further  that  the  instruc 
tions  to  White  Bird  were  the  same  as  to  himself. 


250  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

The  old  Dreamers  already  present  now  spoke 
up  boldly,  and  charged  the  interpreters  to  tell  the 
truth.  They  intimated  that  they  wanted  to  talk 
many  days  about  their  land  and  deprecated  any 
hasty  proceedings. 

I  answered  them  as  quietly  as  I  could  and  as 
sured  them  that  they  could  have  all  the  time  they 
desired,  but  that  they  might  as  well  understand 
first  as  last  that  all  the  Indians  would  be  required 
to  obey  the  instructions  of  the  government.  Mr. 
Monteith,  the  agent,  slowly  read  aloud  his  orders 
from  Washington,  which  were  interpreted  to  them, 
and  added  with  considerable  show  of  firmness :  "I 
sent  out  Reuben  and  some  others  to  your  camp  and 
invited  you  to  come  in.  (They  had  not  heeded  this 
message.)  Now  you  must  come  and  there  is  no 
getting  out  of  it.  Your  Indians  and  White  Bird 's 
can  pick  up  your  horses  and  cattle  and  come  on  the 
reservation.  Joseph  can  select  the  place  he  wants, 
if  he  will  do  it  at  once.  General  Howrard  will  stay 
until  matters  are  settled." 

Next  Ollicut  spoke :  "  We  must  think  for  our 
selves—whites  and  Indians.  We  have  respect  for 
the  whites,  but  they  treat  me  like  a  dog  and  I  some 
times  think  my  friends  are  different  from  what  I 
had  supposed.  There  should  be  one  law  for  all. 
If  I  commit  murder  I  shall  be  hung,  but  if  I  do 
well  I  should  not  be  punished.  Our  friends  will 
be  here  tomorrow  and  I  will  then  tell  what  I  think. ' ' 
Of  course  I  had  to  tell  them  that  whatever  the  gov 
ernment  commanded  us  to  do  must  be  done.  I 
urged  them  to  come  on  the  reservation,  and  ex 
plained  that  the  privileges  to  hunt  and  fish  in  the 


AMONG  OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  251 

Imnaha  Valley  might  be  granted  to  them;  that  if 
they  hesitated,  the  government  had  directed  that 
soldiers  be  used  to  coerce  them;  that  Joseph  and 
Ollicut  knew  that  we  were  friends  to  them,  and  that 
if  they  complied  there  would  be  no  trouble. 

Joseph  then  put  forward  the  Dreamers.  They 
were  as  rude  in  their  manner  as  in  their  speech.  I 
deemed  it  best  to  meet  their  insolence  with  severity 
of  manner  and  brevity.  For  this  I  have  been 
blamed,  but  I  noticed  that  the  commission's  action 
the  year  before  at  Lapwai,  on  account  of  the  kind 
ness  and  long-continued  patience  of  the  members, 
was  interpreted  by  Joseph  and  the  other  Indian 
chieftains  as  indicating  weakness  and  fear.  My 
own  idea  may  be  expressed  in  this  way :  in  dealing 
with  Indians  we  must  neither  fear  nor  hate  them ; 
after  instructions  are  given  by  the  proper  author 
ity  see  to  it  that  the  Indians  are  made  to  under 
stand  the  orders ;  afterwards  see  to  it  that  they  are 
carried  into  execution  without  hesitancy  or  delay. 
Everybody  present  understood  that  that  was  the 
position  of  the  Indian  agent,  and  of  myself  as  de 
partment  commander,  when  we  adjourned  the 
council  until  the  morrow. 

The  next  day  was  exceedingly  mild  and  beauti 
ful.  The  sun  shone  brightly  and  gentle  summer 
breezes  swept  the  valley  of  the  Lapwai.  As  usual, 
the  Indians  wrere  very  deliberate  in  coming  to  the 
council.  They  went  through  the  same  showy  pa 
rade  and  procession  as  the  day  before,  but  with 
very  much  larger  numbers.  At  last  they  came  in 
again  by  the  colonel's  back  way  and  took  their 
places.  Ollicut  crouched  at  the  feet  of  Joseph, 


252  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

White  Bird  took  his  position  a  few  yards  away, 
and  his  followers  sat  on  the  benches  or  on  the 
ground  near  him.  He  kept  a  large  eagle 's  wing  in 
front  of  his  face. 

The  discontented  Dreamers,  or  Tooats,  were 
made  as  prominent  as  on  the  day  before.  As  soon 
as  we  were  ready  Alpowa  Jim,  a  treaty  Indian, 
opened  the  meeting  with  a  fervent  prayer  in  his 
own  language.  Mr.  Monteith  then  repeated  the 
instructions  which  we  had  received  from  Washing 
ton.  Joseph,  as  soon  as  Monteith  had  ceased, 
glancing  toward  him,  said  to  me :  "  This  is  White 
Bird.  I  spoke  to  you  of  him.  This  is  the  first  time 
he  has  seen  you  and  you  him.  I  want  him  and  his 
Indians  to  understand  what  has  been  said  to  us." 

I  made  all  necessary  explanations  as  before, 
whereupon  the  Indians  made  for  this  occasion  Too- 
hul-hul-sote  their  principal  spokesman.  After  he 
had  stopped  talking  Joseph,  first,  and  White  Bird 
after  him,  endorsed  what  he  had  said.  I  saw  that 
the  Indians  were  getting  very  much  excited,  and 
was  glad  when  the  young  chieftain  asked  for  a 
postponement  of  the  council.  The  postponement 
would  enable  me  to  get  some  troops  into  place  that 
were  coming  from  Alaska  and  Oregon.  Indeed, 
the  Indians  at  this  meeting  gave  clear  evidence  that 
they  did  not  intend  to  comply  with  the  instructions 
from  Washington.  The  next  day  being  the  Sab 
bath  we  adjourned  the  council  until  the  following 
Monday. 

It  was  plain  to  be  seen  that  the  treaty  Indians 
were  frightened.  As  their  opponents,  the  non- 
treaties,  increased  in  numbers  it  was  noticed  that 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  253 

they  were  fully  armed  with  modern  weapons. 
They  put  war  paint  on  their  faces  and  their  man 
ner  was  insolent,  defiant,  and  hostile.  The  ladies 
of  the  garrison  instinctively  comprehended  the 
situation,  and  in  evident  fear  kept  asking:  "  Is 
Joseph  going  to  fight  the  troops'?  r 

The  Sabbath  was  as  peaceful  a  day  as  we  could 
desire.  At  the  agency  the  gathering  was  so  large 
that  the  hall  used  for  a  church  would  not  hold  the 
people.  The  Nez  Perce  women  and  children  were 
dressed  in  their  best,  their  picturesque  attire  giv 
ing  at  a  little  distance  the  bright  effects  of  a  holiday 
assemblage.  Many  of  the  non-treaty  people  min 
gled  with  the  worshipers,  and  the  service  was  in 
every  respect  a  good  one.  The  only  thing  that 
marred  the  occasion  was  that  in  Joseph's  camp 
some  of  his  warriors  went  through  with  a  weird 
dance,  accompanied  by  the  incessant  beating  of 
tom-toms,  and  other  ceremonies  characteristic  of 
their  heathen  worship.  Notwithstanding  this  di 
version,  at  the  close  of  the  day  a  happier  feeling 
seemed  to  pervade  all  parties. 

The  most  important  council,  at  which  I  felt 
sure  matters  would  come  to  a  climax,  assembled  on 
Monday,  the  7th  of  May,  1877.  All  the  different 
non-treaty  bands  from  the  south,  the  east,  and  the 
west  were  there.  Indian  runners  gave  Joseph  to 
understand  that  our  soldiers  were  already  in  the 
Wallowa  country.  Again  there  was  the  same 
marching  and  singing.  The  Indians  had  evidently 
gained  in  courage,  and  all  those  who  wanted  war 
were  bolder  in  their  attitude.  Monteith,  the  agent, 
appeared  this  morning  to  be  very  kind  to  the  In- 


254          MY   LITE   AND  PEKSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

dians.  He  wished,  he  said,  to  remove  a  false  im 
pression  that  had  somehow  gotten  abroad.  He 
assured  them  that  their  religious  rites  would  not 
be  interfered  with,  but  he  added  that  if  a  teacher 
counseled  insubordination  and  disobedience  to  the 
clear  instructions  of  his  department  such  a  teacher 
would  have  to  be  restrained. 

Again  Too-hul-hul-sote  took  the  floor.  He  as 
serted  that  the  earth  was  his  mother,  that  it  should 
not  be  disturbed  by  any  instrument  of  husbandry, 
that  men  must  eat  what  grows  of  itself.  He  had 
much  to  say  of  chieftainship ;  that  it  came  from  the 
earth  and  was  inherited,  and  so  on.  I  answered: 
"  We  do  not  wish  to  interfere  with  your  religion, 
but  you  must  talk  about  practical  things.  Twenty 
times  over  you  have  repeated  that  the  earth  is  your 
mother,  and  that  chieftainship  is  from  the  earth. 
Let  us  hear  it  no  more,  but  come  to  business  at 


once. ' 


Too-hul-hul-sote  replied  with  another  speech 
in  which  he  denied  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United 
States,  and  disowned  the  binding  force  of  the 
treaty  already  made.  His  manner  was  so  surly 
and  disagreeable  that  I  could  see  plainly  that  he 
was  exciting  an  opposition  which  might  result  in 
an  immediate  outbreak,  for  every  Indian  appeared 
to  have,  just  at  that  time,  some  weapon  ready  at 
hand  for  use. 

"  But,"  I  replied  firmly,  "  you  know  very  well 
that  the  government  has  set  apart  a  reservation 
and  that  the  Indians  must  go  upon  it.  If  an  Indian 
becomes  a  citizen,  like  old  Timothy  of  Alpowa,  he 
can  have  land  like  any  other  citizen  outside,  but  he 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  255 

must  leave  his  tribe  and  take  land  precisely  as  a 
white  man  does." 

Too-hul-hul-sote  made  his  fiercest  rejoinder: 
"  What  person  pretends  to  divide  the  land  and  put 
me  on  it  ?" 

I  answered:  "I  am  the  man.  I  stand  here 
for  the  President,  and  there  is  no  spirit  good  or 
bad  that  will  hinder  me.  My  orders  are  plain  and 
will  be  executed.  I  hope  the  Indians  have  good 
sense  enough  to  make  me  their  friend  and  not  their 
enemy. " 

The  hostile  spirit  then  manifested  could  hardly 
have  been  stronger,  and  I  knew  that  the  crisis  had 
come  and  that  something  must  be  done  to  relieve 
the  situation.  So  after  listening  for  a  short  time 
and  hearing  the  old  chief  say  that  he  had  never 
given  anybody  a  right  to  sign  away  his  lands,  I 
demanded:  "  Do  you  speak  for  yourself  alone?  " 

He  replied,  with  additional  emphasis  and 
anger:  "  The  Indians  may  do  what  they  like,  but 
I  am  not  going  on  the  reservation ! ': 

Of  course  this  was  intended,  as  is  the  Indian 
custom,  to  voice  the  purpose  of  all  the  non-treaty 
people.  I  told  him  that  it  was  bad  advice,  and, 
trying  to  drive  a  wedge  between  them,  I  said: 
"  Joseph  and  White  Bird  seem  to  have  good  hearts, 
but  yours  is  bad.  I  will  send  you  to  the  Indian 
Territory." 

Indeed,  Monteith  and  I  had  feared  that  this 
Dreamer,  who  hated  every  approach  to  civiliza 
tion,  would  make  trouble.  He  did  not  claim  to  be  a 
medicine  man,  but  he  talked  all  the  time  like  one. 
We  knew  well  that  he  had  not  spoken  a  conciliatory 


256          MY   LIFE    AND   PERSONAL   EXPERIENCES 

word,  that  he  had  advised  all  the  non-treaty  In 
dians  to  fight.  So  I  said:  "  You  counsel  them  to 
resist,  to  go  to  war,  to  lose  all  their  horses  and 
cattle,  and  have  unending  trouble." 

Then  suddenly  I  turned  to  the  others  and  asked : 
"  Will  Joseph  and  White  Bird  and  Looking-Glass 
go  with  me  to  look  after  their  land  ?  The  old  man 
shall  not  go.  He  must  stay  with  Colonel  Perry." 

% ' '  Do  you  want  to  scare  me  with  reference  to 
my  body?"  exclaimed  Too-hul-hul-sote. 

I  said  firmly :  u  I  will  leave  your  body  with 
Colonel  Perry."  Then  before  anybody  could  act, 
with  the  help  of  Colonel  Perry,  I  seized  the  cross- 
grained  Dreamer  and  led  him  out  of  the  council 
and  delivered  him  to  the  giiard.  At  that  instant 
some  of  the  Indians  were  on  the  point  of  plunging 
their  knives  into  my  breast,  but  Joseph  and  White 
Bird  both  counseled  delay.  They  could  have  killed 
me  and  the  few  other  white  men  in  the  council,  but 
they  knew  they  could  not  pass  out  of  the  enclosure 
without  large  loss  to  themselves,  for  our  men,  with 
rifles  loaded,  were  ready  at  the  guard-house  on  the 
one  side  and  at  the  barracks  on  the  other. 

The  crisis  had  now  passed ;  the  Indians  changed 
their  tone  and  were  pacific.  They  readily  agreed 
to  go  with  me  over  the  Lapwai  reservation  to 
its  remotest  boundaries,  where  they  could  find 
fertile  lands  for  cultivation,  if  they  would  conde 
scend  to  cultivate  them,  grassy  hillsides  for  their 
ponies,  and  a  well-wooded  country.  With  this  un 
derstanding  the  council  adjourned. 

We  came  together  again  after  several  days 
spent  in  riding  over  and  inspecting  the  reserva- 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  257 

tion,  Joseph,  White  Bird,  Hush-hush-cute,  and 
others  in  turn  jogging  along  by  my  side  and 
talking  to  me  through  James  Reuben,  or  another 
interpreter,  while  my  aide-de-camp,  Captain  Wil 
kinson,  Rev.  Mr.  Thompson  of  Olympia,  Mr.  Mon- 
teith,  the  agent,  and  Whitman,  the  interpreter, 
mingled  with  the  other  Indians,  conversing  pleas 
antly  with  them.  Looking-Glass  took  a  special 
fancy  to  Captain  Wilkinson,  and  indicated  great 
delight  at  the  peace  prospects.  We  all  firmly  be 
lieved  that  the  Indians  had  at  last  made  up  their 
minds  to  obey  the  instructions  of  the  government 
and  come  on  the  reservation. 

Joseph  at  the  last  meeting  presented  a  petition 
that  I  would  release  Too-hul-hul-sote  from  guard. 
This  petition  I  granted.  Joseph  then  promised 
solemnly  to  be  on  the  reservation  by  June  14th, 
and  he  was  to  go  to  the  region  of  the  Clear  Water 
River  for  his  allotment  of  it.  That  gave  Joseph 
and  his  people  just  one  month  to  break  up  at  Im- 
naha. 

Hush-hush-cute  asked  for  thirty-five  days.  He 
was  the  Indian  most  distrusted  at  the  time,  but 
nobody  supposed  he  could  make  war  alone. 

There  was  a  general  satisfaction  among  the 
white  people  at  Lapwai  and  Lewiston.  The  peace 
ful  treaty  Indians  had  no  doubt  of  Joseph's  good 
intention,  and  even  now  I  think  that  he  then  be 
lieved  the  best  thing  to  do  was  to  heed  the  instruc 
tions  of  the  Indian  department,  and  take  up  his 
abode  along  the  fertile  grounds  of  the  Clear  Water. 


16 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

AMONG  THE  COLUMBIA  RIVER  INDIANS  —  INCIDENTS  AND 
PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES  —  "  CUT-MOUTH  JOHN." 

Up  the  Columbia  River  —  Smohollie,  a  Pompous  Indian  of  Important 
Manner  —  Standing  on  His  Dignity  —  Treating  Him  with  Indiffer 
ence —  Changing  His  Mind  —  Sending  for  an  Interpreter  —  Rene 
gade  Indians  —  Wild  and  Fierce  to  the  Last  —  The  "  Skookum- 
house  "  —  An  Insubordinate  Old  Chief  —  United  Against  the  Whites 
—  An  Odd  Character  —  A  Sea-sick  and  Disgusted  Indian  —  "  Cut- 
mouth  John  "  —  How  He  Acquired  His  Name  —  Introducing  Him 
self  to  Me  —  His  Dirty  and  Comical  Uniform  —  His  Personal  Ap 
pearance  —  A  Ludicrous  Spectacle  —  Trying  to  be  a  White  Man. 

SOON  after  our  return  to  Portland  from  the 
Lapwai  council,  while  waiting  for  the  time 
to  arrive  when  Joseph  and  his  people  were  to 
go  upon  their  designated  reservation,  I  made  a 
trip  up  the  Columbia  River,  arriving  late  one  after 
noon  at  crumbling  old  Fort  Walla  Walla,  which 
stood  near  the  river  where  the  hamlet  of  Wallula 
is  now  situated.  The  proprietors  of  the  hotel  were 
very  hospitable,  though  they  had  but  a  poor, 
rickety  house,  wretchedly  built,  with  partitions 
hardly  thicker  than  pasteboard. 

They  had  made  the  perilous  journey  over  the 
plains  and  across  the  mountains  from  the  Kansas 
and  Nebraska  frontiers  to  the  Touchet  River,  and 
finally  settled  at  Wallula,  rich  in  personal  experi 
ence,  and  with  a  fund  of  stories  to  relate  of  ad 
ventures  with  Indians,  hairbreadth  escapes,  of 
danger,  exposure,  plenty,  and  want,  enough  to  in 
terest  strangers  for  hours. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  259 

Here  we  spent  the  night.  The  next  day,  in  a 
large  tumble-down  storehouse,  I  brought  together 
several  bands  that  we  called  the  "  Columbia  River 
Renegades. ' '  In  accordance  with  a  previous  prom 
ise,  I  had  sent  a  message  to  Smohollie,  the  leader 
of  the  Indian  spiritists,  who  was  at  the  time  in  a 
large  combined  camp,  higher  up  the  Columbia  than 
Wallula,  an'd  on  the  other  side. 

Smohollie,  who  could  not  be  exceeded  by  any 
earthly  potentate  in  assumption  of  power  or  im 
portance  of  manner,  had  upon  my  arrival  sent  me 
word  by  a  messenger  that  I  must  go  to  his  camp. 
I  informed  the  messenger  that  I  had  come  all  the 
way  from  Portland,  by  appointment,  to  meet  Smo 
hollie  at  Wallula,  which  was  an  arrangement  of 
his  own  seeking,  and  that  if  the  chief  had  anything 
to  say  to  General  Howard  he  must  come  to  Wallula 
and  say  it. 

Smohollie  sent  a  second  messenger  who  was  to 
find  out  and  report  to  him  what  I  intended  to  say 
to  the  Indians.  The  messenger  intimated  that  he 
would  carry  back  the  tidings  promptly,  whatever 
they  might  be,  and  then  Smohollie  and  his  follow 
ers  would  act. 

I  replied  that  I  had  nothing  whatever  at  this 
time  to  say  to  Smohollie,  and  that  it  was  not  im 
portant  whether  I  saw  him  or  not.  This  was,  of 
course,  rather  ungracious,  but  there  was  no  appar 
ent  reason  for  this  attempt  to  draw  me  across  the 
river.  It  might  mean  personal  harm.  A  little 
after  noon  Smohollie,  having  changed  his  mind, 
and  having  mustered  all  the  people  he  could,  in 
cluding  women  and  children,  crossed  over  the  river 


260          MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

just  above  Wallula.  They  approached  the  village, 
freshly  bedecked  with  paint  and  feathers,  and  the 
cavalcade  filed  in  with  all  the  pomp  and  circum 
stance  characteristic  of  Indian  conceit.  As  many 
of  the  Indians  belonged  to  the  Umatilla  agencies 
I  had  arranged  to  have  their  friend  Mr.  Cornoyer 
with  me.  The  council  was  at  last  held,  and  there 
were  at  least  two  hundred  and  fifty  men  present, 
besides  fifty  women  with  little  children.  All  gath 
ered  in  and  around  the  building,  eagerly  waiting 
for  some  communication  from  me. 

How  some  days  everything  goes  awry!  We 
held  an  unsatisfactory  conversation  by  using  the 
Chinook— that  meager  and  inadequate  language 
through  which  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  convey 
information.  Our  interpreter,  McBean,  had  been 
taken  ill  while  on  his  way  to  us  from  Umatilla,  and 
a  messenger  brought  word  that  he  could  not  come. 
Some  of  the  bystanders  made  feeble  attempts  at 
interpretation  through  signs  and  the  Chinook  lan 
guage,  but  I  \vas  obliged  to  adjourn  the  council 
until  we  could  bring  to  us  an  old  and  famous 
frontiersman,  Mr.  Pambrum,  who  lived  near  Wail- 
atpu,  where  Dr.  Whitman,  who  was  slain  by  the 
Cayuses,  was  buried.  I  knew  Pambrum  to  be  a 
remarkably  good  interpreter.  He  could  speak  the 
different  Walla  Walla  dialects,  which  the  Cayuses, 
the  Walla  Wallas,  and  the  Umatillas  well  under 
stood. 

He  arrived  at  last,  late  in  the  evening,  when  we 
immediately  called  a  smaller  council.  There  we 
had  Smohollie,  Young  Chief,  the  best  leader  of  the 
Umatillas,  Homily  of  the  Walla  Wallas,  and  Old 


WAR  AND  SACRED  SHIELDS;  BEADED  BLANKET  BAND;  WOMAN'S  BELT 
WARRIOR'S  DISK  STRAP,  HEAD  DRESS. ETC. 

For  L~scriptiQ2i  ser  paye   75 

PHOTOGRAPHED  AND  PAINTED  FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  OBJECTS  EXPRESSLY  FOR  THIS  WORK. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  263 

Thomas,  a  refractory  chief  who  had  led  his  band 
to  some  lands  beyond  the  Snake  River. 

The  statements  made  by  all  these  Indians  were 
the  same  that  the  non-treaty  Nez  Perces  continu 
ally  repeated.  They  said  they  wanted  peace,  but 
they  desired  much  more  to  roam  at  large  whenever 
and  wherever  they  pleased.  They  really  belonged, 
as  the  white  men  averred,  on  some  reservation, 
and  so  the  word  "  renegades "  described  them 
well.  I  believed  that  they  were  combining  and 
meditating  resistance  the  instant  I  should  attempt 
to  carry  out  the  instructions  of  the  Indian  depart 
ment  at  Washington,  and  that  they  were  further 
waiting  to  see  what  the  non-treaty  Nez  Perces, 
under  whose  wing  they  proposed  to  act,  would 
finally  do.  Should  they  alone  precipitate  war  they 
understood  well  enough  that  they  would  soon  be 
annihilated.  However,  I  carefully  explained  the 
wishes  of  the  government  and  exhorted  them  to 
run  to  the  shelter  of  the  reservation  as  soon  as 
possible.  Mr.  Cornoyer  strongly  endorsed  my 
words. 

The  roving  Indians  had  now  obtained  what 
they  wanted  and  we  separated  with  apparent  good 
feeling.  Old  Thomas,  whose  hunting  ground  was 
near  some  of  the  non-treaty  Nez  Perces,  was  an 
exception.  He  was  wild  and  fierce  to  the  last,  and 
wanted  to  know  why  I  had  been  sending  troops  to 
Wallowa,  and  denounced  the  action  and  wishes  of 
the  United  States  government  in  unmeasured 
terms. 

Every  Indian  left  the  little  town  before  mid 
night.  Old  Thomas'  people,  going  with  him, 


264          MY   LIFE    AND   PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

rushed  northward  up  the  Snake  Kiver,  making 
better  time  than  the  steamboat.  They  were  cross 
ing  their  hands  and  stating  to  every  one  they  met 
that  I  was  going  to  make  slaves  of  them,  and  was 
going  to  put  them  into  the  "  skookum-house, " 
meaning  the  guard-house  or  military  prison. 

"  Father  Wilbur,"  the  Yakima  agent,  had  pre 
viously  brought  us  an  insubordinate  old  chief, 
Skemiah,  and  we  had  him  still  confined  in  a  guard 
room  at  Port  Vancouver.  This  fact  the  renegades 
had  learned  during  our  interview,  therefore  the 
"  skookum-house  "  loomed  up  as  a  possibility  to 
them.  As  soon  as  they  heard  of  it,  these  renegades, 
though  two  hundred  miles  from  the  old  captive, 
pleaded  his  case  with  me  and  begged  for  the  im 
prisoned  Skemiah 's  release.  The  renegades  were 
thus  connected  by  a  common  feeling  and  sympathy 
against  all  the  white  men,  even  though  they  did 
quarrel  and  fight  with  each  other. 

Old  Homily  of  the  Walla  Wallas  was  a  singular 
character.  His  village  was  along  the  Columbia, 
not  far  from  it,  north  of  Wallula.  A  more  rocky, 
gravelly,  forbidding,  and  unfruitful  patch  of  land 
I  never  saw.  It  was  always  windy  there  and  often 
so  dusty  as  to  make  it  doubly  disagreeable.  Yet 
Homily  enjoyed  that  wild  country  of  his.  At  one 
time,  with  some  other  chiefs,  he  went  to  Washing 
ton.  On  the  way  back  on  the  steamer  just  below 
the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  he  was  very  seasick, 
and  begged  the  captain  to  stop  the  steamer  and 
send  him  ashore.  '  *  Oh, ' '  he  said, ' '  me  much  rather 
heap  walk!  r  He  told  me  afterwards,  shaking  his 
fat  sides,  that  some  people  might  like  to  live  in 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  265 

such  a  place  as  Washington  city,  but  it  had  no 
attractions  for  him.  He  would  "  a  heap  rather  " 
live  in  his  own  home  among  the  abundant  rocks 
and  stones  above  Wallula. 

Among  the  TJmatillas  was  a  distinguished  char 
acter  who  rejoiced  in  the  name  of  "  Cut-mouth 
John."  He  was  brought  to  the  city  of  Portland 
when  I  was  there  in  1876.  He  came  as  a  witness  in 
connection  with  some  law  cases  where  white  men 
of  bad  repute  had  been  selling  liquor  to  the  Indians 
of  the  Umatilla  agency.  When  John  introduced 
himself  to  me  he  had  on  a  lieutenant's  cast-off 
coat,  with  shoulder-straps,  a  red  sash  around  his 
waist,  a  pair  of  dirty  white  gloves,  and  a  slouched 
hat.  He  appeared  in  my  room,  and  as  I  looked  up 
he  asked:  "  Mr.  Howard?" 

66  Yes,"  I  answered. 

"  Me  Cut-mouth  John,"  he  said. 

True  enough,  the  right  side  of  his  face  showed 
a  deep  and  continuous  furrow,  which  ran  from 
where  the  corner  of  his  mouth  should  be  over  and 
beyond  his  eye,  leveling  teeth,  skin,  and  bones,  and 
making  his  expression  a  constant  and  unsightly 
grimace.  Major  Boyle,  who  knew  all  the  Uma- 
tillas,  told  me  that  Cut-mouth  John  had  always 
been  true  to  the  white  man.  He  was  a  scout  for 
General  George  S.  Wright.  In  one  of  his  skir 
mishes  an  Indian,  who  was  hostile  to  the  whites,  put 
his  pistol  on  his  arm,  aimed  sideways,  and  shot 
John,  thus  disfiguring  his  face  dreadfully.  Since 
then  he  had  borne  his  present  descriptive  name. 

After  giving  his  testimony  in  Portland,  Cut- 
mouth  John  came  to  bid  me  good-bye.  He  took 


266  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

plenty  of  time  to  silently  look  at  everything  around 
me.  He  felt  much  ashamed  of  his  poor  shoes.  He 
declared  he  had  called  the  Indian  agent's  attention 
to  this  sign  of  poverty;  then  he  shook  his  head, 
with  an  indescribable  grin  upon  his  disfigured 
face,  and  said:  "  No  potlatch "  (no  present). 
John's  soiled  white  gloves  were  full  of  holes  and 
his  uniform  was  old  and  rusty.  Poor  fellow,  in 
his  shabby  finery  he  presented  a  truly  ludicrous 
spectacle !  Yet  I  had  a  feeling  of  great  compassion 
for  him  when  I  looked  at  the  sad  disfigurement  of 
his  visage,  and  remembered  that  it  was  a  wound 
received  from  a  hostile  brother  on  account  of  his 
fidelity  to  the  white  men  who  have  never  been  very 
faith-keeping  to  him  or  his  people. 

In  their  own  native  attire  the  Indians  usually 
appear  well.  The  dress  of  skins  and  feathers,  how 
ever  variegated,  befits  them.  But  when  they  put 
on  our  clothing  and  strut  about  in  it  their  appear 
ance  is  sometimes  comical.  A  chief  in  an  old 
shabby  uniform,  with  perhaps  a  plug  hat  picked 
up  on  the  dump  pile  of  a  fort,  thinks  he  is  pleasing 
and  honoring  the  white  man  who  in  reality  is  pity 
ing  him,  or  laughing  at  his  senseless  vanity.  Poor 
Cut-mouth  John  was  trying  to  be  a  white  man. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

BIDDING  ADIEU  TO  MY  FAMILY  FOR  WHAT  PROVES  TO  BE  A 

LONG  ABSENCE  —  ON  THE  VERGE  OF  A  BLOODY 

INDIAN  WAR. 

Chief  Joseph's  Bad  Conduct  —  Robbing  a  Missionary's  House  —  Miracu 
lous  Escape  from  Bloody  Hands  —  Resting  in  Comfort,  Peace,  and 
Hope  —  My  Fourteen  "  Commanding  Officers  "  —  An  Old  Comrade 
of  the  Civil  War  —  Chief  Joseph's  Unconverted  Heart  —  Guarding 
Against  Indian  Treachery  —  Release  of  Old  Skemiah  from  the 
"  Skookum-house "  —  His  Grievances  and  Plea  to  go  Back  to  the 
Reservation  —  Bidding  Adieu  to  my  Family  —  It  Proves  to  be  a 
Long  One  —  On  the  Verge  of  a  Bloody  War. 

THE  date  agreed  upon  when  the  Nez  Perces 
were  to  come  on  the  reservation  was  drawing 
near.  We  had  returned  to  Portland  from 
the  council  at  Lapwrai  with  a  feeling  that  a  great 
work  had  been  accomplished.  One  of  our  Union 
generals  always  said  to  me  at  the  close  of  a  success 
ful  engagement:  "Fait  accompli/'  Such  seemed 
to  me  the  closing  interview  with  Joseph's  people. 
We  felt  confident  that  there  would  be  no  serious 
difficulties  with  the  Nez  Perces.  All  their  past 
history  and  their  traditions  favored  this  thought. 
I  have  since  learned,  howrever,  that  Old  Joseph 
had  behaved  badly  toward  the  missionary  Spalding 
as  soon  as  he  heard  of  the  massacre  of  Marcus 
Whitman  and  his  family— wilich  I  shall  describe  in 
another  chapter— and  that  during  the  absence  of 
Mr.  Spalding 's  family  he  had  robbed  his  house, 
destroying  such  goods  as  he  could  not  take  away. 
Besides,  young  Joseph  and  Ollicut,  his  stalwart 


268  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

sons,  had  in  them  Cayuse  blood.  I  well  remem 
bered  that  the  fierce  Cayuses  had  perpetrated  the 
horrible  massacre  of  the  early  missionaries  at 
Wailatpu,  a  very  few  of  whom  miraculously  es 
caped  from  their  bloody  hands.  Yet  after  all  that 
may  be  said  nobody  can  make  me  believe  that 
young  Joseph,  at  the  time  I  left  him,  was  planning 
treachery  and  murder. 

The  days  came  and  went  in  Portland  as  usual. 
The  spring  rains  had  nearly  ceased  and  were  fol 
lowed  by  gentle  summer  showers,  which  make  the 
heart  of  an  Oregonian  glad.  How  many  things 
come  back  to  memory  when  a  resting-time  is  over 
and  the  old  perpetual  conflict  is  renewed !  My  mili 
tary  family  and  myself  were  enjoying  comfort  and 
peace,  and  looking  hopefully  forward  to  the  future, 
when  one  day  Colonel  E.  C.  Watkins,  the  inspector 
of  Indian  affairs,  came  into  my  office.  How  glad 
I  was  to  see  him ! 

I  often  declared  that  I  had  fourteen  command 
ing  officers,  being  obliged  to  obey  the  call  of  four 
teen  different  Indian  agents.  It  is  not  scriptural 
to  obey  so  many  masters.  Colonel  Watkins  was 
senior  to  them  all,  so  I  transferred  my  allegiance 
at  once  to  him,  and  placed  him  over  all  the  agents. 
He  was  an  able  official  and  very  congenial  to  me— 
the  more  so  perhaps  because  he  had  been  a  comrade 
in  the  Civil  War.  He  was  a  large,  wholesome  man, 
possessing  genuine  courage  that  never  failed  in 
any  dangerous  situation.  We  looked  over  the  vast 
Indian  field  and  concluded  that  Joseph,  should  he 
be  inclined  to  treachery,  might  be  tempted  to  take 
that  course  if  he  could  induce  the  numerous  Co- 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  269 

lumbia  River  tribes  to  join  him.  We  knew  well 
enough  that  his  heart  was  not  wholly  converted  to 
our  civilization.  We  therefore  planned  to  antici 
pate  any  messengers  sent  from  Joseph  to  tribes 
north  of  the  Columbia. 

To  carry  out  our  plans  we  made  a  brief  visit  to 
that  part  of  the  Indian  stamping-ground.  At  Fort 
Vancouver  we  participated  in  the  exercises  of 
Memorial  Day.  Old  Skemiah  was  still  in  the 
guard-room  of  the  fort.  He  wanted  to  see  me,  and, 
still  more,  Colonel  Watkins  as  soon  as  he  heard  of 
his  presence  and  his  office.  Immediately  we  had 
a  formal  interview  with  him.  He  was  chief  of  one 
of  the  small  bands  that  should  have  gathered  upon 
the  Fort  Simcoe  reservation. 

Having  seated  ourselves  in  General  Sully 's 
office,  a  soldier  brought  in  poor  old  Skemiah,  who 
had  a  clay-colored,  expressionless  face,  a  fat  body 
and  waddling  gait.  A  sergeant,  acting  as  inter 
preter  by  using  the  Chinook  language  and  a  few 
Indian  signs,  poorly  made,  managed  to  learn  from 
Skemiah  that  his  heart  was  good,  had  always  been 
so,  and  that  his  people  had  gone  to  Fort  Simcoe 
already,  and  that  he  would  be  very  glad  to  go  there 
too,  and  do  all  we  wished  him  to  do  henceforth. 
•"  Only  let  me  go  back!  "  he  pleaded. 

After  a  brief  consultation  Watkins  and  I  an 
swered  him  favorably.  "  Tomorrowr  you  shall  go 
to  Fort  Simcoe  under  the  escort  of  a  sergeant." 
We  were  sure  Father  Wilbur  would  release  him 
if  he  behaved  well  after  reaching  the  reservation. 

On  the  31st  of  May  we  again  set  out  from  Port 
land,  leaving  there  by  the  Dalles  steamer  at  five 


270  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

o'clock  in  the  morning.  I  little  thought  as  I  took 
my  valise  in  hand  and  bade  adieu  to  my  drowsy 
family  that  I  should  pass  through  a  terrible  Indian 
war  and  be  absent  five  months  before  I  could  look 
upon  their  faces  again.  Such,  however,  was  the 
truth. 

We  picked  up  Skemiah  and  the  sergeant  on  the 
way.  The  old  man  was  happy,  and  his  dull  face 
suggested  eager  anticipation  that  was  not  unpleas 
ant  to  look  upon.  I  felt  glad  for  him. 

We  left  the  Columbia  transport  forty  miles 
above  the  Cascades  and  began  to  ascend  the  moun 
tain  range  to  the  northeast.  We  passed  up  the 
north  bank  and  turned  our  eyes  back  from  time  to 
time  to  look  down  the  beautiful  valley  of  the  great 
river,  and  southward  to  catch  glimpses  of  twice  ten 
thousand  hills  and  the  grand  old  mountains  beyond 
them.  Slowly  we  wound  our  way  to  the  top  of  the 
Simcoe  range.  Near  the  crest,  where  the  weather 
was  cold  enough  for  a  fire,  we  camped  for  the  night. 
A  large  number  of  Indians  had  now  joined  my 
escort.  Skemiah 's  little  son  of  four  years,  dressed 
in  Indian  finery  and  well  mounted,  was  with  them, 
and  all  seemed  happy  to  receive  provisions  from 
us.  Indians  who  smoke  in  a  circle  with  a  white 
man,  and  condescend  to  eat  the  white  man's  food, 
as  a  rule,  wear,  whether  real  or  assumed,  an  ex 
pression  of  remarkable  contentment.  Anyway  it 
is  hospitable  and  politic  thus  to  eat  and  smoke  or 
let  them  do  so.  It  makes  friends. 

We  had  an  early  breakfast  and  arrived  at  the 
agency  on  the  Simcoe  River  by  11  A.  M.  of  that  day. 
The  Simcoe  is  a  branch  of  the  Yakima,  a  river 


AMONG  OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  271 

which  passes  into  the  Columbia  above  the  mouth  of 
the  Snake.  The  confluence  is  quite  a  distance 
above  Wallula.  The  name  "Yakima"1  is  also 
given  to  the  handsomest  Indian  reservation  west 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  agent,  Mr.  Wilbur, 
was  away  when  we  arrived  attending  to  that  in 
teresting  and  exciting  operation  of  branding  cat 
tle.  There  is  only  one  thing  that  Indians  enjoy 
better,  and  that  is  killing  them  with  firearms. 

In  the  evening  Mr.  Wilbur  and  his  wife  re 
turned.  How  tall  and  strong  he  looked,  standing 
six  feet  in  his  shoes,  a  broad-shouldered,  thick- 
chested,  large-headed,  full- voiced,  manly  man! 
Still  the  advancing  years  had  begun  to  tell  upon 
him.  Mrs.  Wilbur  said :  "  We  had  to  stop  by  the 
way  for  my  husband  to  lie  down  a  while."  I  did 
not  wonder,  for  he  had  the  care  of  a  nation  on  his 
shoulders  and  was  himself  the  whole  government, 
though  Mrs.  Wilbur,  a  motherly  woman,  appeared 
to  be  an  efficient  prime  minister. 

Monday  we  sent  messengers  to  all  Indians  far 
and  near,  some  of  them  hundreds  of  miles  away, 
with  an  invitation  to  come  to  Fort  Simcoe  for  a 
council.  While  waiting  Watkins,  Wilkinson,  and 
I  went  over  the  extensive  reserve.  For  a  while  we 
watched  the  branding  of  cattle  and  saw  how  the 
Indians  marked  wild  steers.  After  being  thrown 
down  the  animal  .was  held  flat  and  still,  while  a 
strong  Indian  seized  and  applied  the  hot  and  heavy 
branding  iron.  To  repeat  that  operation  through 
out  an  entire  herd  was  a  trying  ordeal. 

When  we  returned  to  the  agency  good  news  was 
brought  to  us,  to  wit. :  Joseph,  Ollicut,  and  White 


272  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Bird  had  been  gathering  in  their  cattle  and  ponies 
preparatory  to  entering  the  Lapwai  reservation 
as  they  had  promised. 

Fort  Simcoe  was  built  by  Major  Garnet,  under 
whom  I  had  been  when  he  was  commandant  at 
West  Point,  and  who  fell  in  battle  on  the  Confed 
erate  side  during  the  Civil  War.  The  post  was 
constructed  for  three  companies  of  infantry.  The 
quarters  of  the  officers  were  picturesque  and  all  the 
buildings  good,  and  showy  fences  surrounded  well- 
kept  gardens.  Years  before  this  time  everything 
had  been  transferred  to  the  Indian  bureau,  and 
Fort  Simcoe  was  now  the  headquarters  of  the  Ya- 
kima  Indian  agency. 

The  agent,  the  head  chief,  Joe  Stwyre,  and  the 
Indian  police  were  ever  ready  to  help  Colonel 
Watkins  perform  his  part.  They  were  to  assemble 
the  renegades  and  nomads  of  the  Columbia  and 
start  them,  like  the  Yakimas,  on  the  road  to  civil 
ization.  White  people  said  to  Joe  Stwyre :  "  You  '11 
be  killed  if  you  go  to  Smohollie ! ': 

"  No,  no,"  he  answered,  "  I  will  not  be  killed; 
I  will  go.  I  will  go  and  carry  the  good  message!  r 

Smohollie  received  him  gladly  and  hastened 
with  his  leading  Indians  toward  Simcoe.  So  also 
did  Moses,  whom  the  messengers  found  at  Priest 's 
Eapids,  far  up  the  Columbia,  and  so  did  other 
wandering  tribes  along  the  river  valley.  Pam- 
brum,  the  interpreter,  who  spoke  a  language  that 
all  Walla  Wallas  and  Cayuses  could  understand, 
came  to  us  from  his  home  near  the  Touchet  River. 

By  Saturday  the  8th  of  June  all  the  Indians 
far  and  near,  north  of  the  Columbia  Eiver,  had 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  273 

come  together  to  meet  us.  We  had  a  large  tent-fly 
stretched  in  a  beautiful  grove,  and  this  together 
with  the  trees  afforded  a  grateful  shade  during  the 
intense  heat.  There  is  nowhere  so  much  formality 
as  in  an  Indian  council.  There  were  Colonel  Wat- 
kins,  Agent  Wilbur,  and  our  military  selves— 
white  men  and  ladies — all  occupying  comfortable 
seats ;  facing  us  were  the  Indians  seated  on  benches 
or  chairs.  In  the  first  row,  from  right  to  left,  in 
order  of  their  supposed  rank,  were  Moses,  Smo- 
hollie,  One-eyed  John,  Calwash,  Skemiah,  Thomas, 
and  others.  Other  renegades  came  in  behind,  sit 
ting  or  squatting  as  Indians  do.  The  background 
was  studded  with  women  and  children  clothed  in 
bright  and  contrasted  colors,  with  straight  black 
hair  and  black,  flashing  eyes,  and  some  of  them  had 
clean  hands  and  faces.  The  friendly  Indians  were 
mixed  up  everywhere  with  the  newcomers  and 
treated  them  with  persistent  kindness. 

After  the  opening  prayer  Colonel  Watkins  fol 
lowed  in  a  brief  address,  which  was  rather  manda 
tory  in  style  for  an  Indian  council.  "  First,  the 
government  requires  that  you  shall  all  come  on 
this  or  some  other  of  its  reservations. 

"  Second,  in  every  possible  way  of  looking  at 
this  matter  it  is  better  for  you  to  come.  Third, 
the  commander  of  the  military  forces  will  enforce 
this  requirement." 

Agent  Wilbur  argued  the  second  proposition. 
He  strove  to  influence  Smohollie  particularly,  be 
cause  Smohollie  ardently  fostered  and  openly  ad 
vocated  the  Dreamer  religion,  and  was  believed  to 
be  the  special  cause  of  the  restlessness  of  the 


274  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Columbia  tribes.  He  kept  alive  the  hope  of  super 
natural  intervention;  relief  was  to  come,  so  he 
taught,  through  a  general  Indian  resurrection. 
Without  making  much  reply  that  day  the  Indians 
desired  to  postpone  the  council  until  the  following 
Monday. 

All  the  Indians  were  cordially  invited  to  be 
present  Sunday  in  that  very  grove  for  a  religious 
service.  I  enjoyed  that  occasion  greatly.  The 
Christian  Indians  seemed  to  plead  the  cause  of  the 
great  Master  with  earnestness.  They  spoke  in  the 
Indian  tongue,  so  thaf  I  could  not  follow  them 
closely.  Smohollie  behaved  well  that  day  and  an 
swered  all  appeals  with  apparent  sincerity. 

On  Monday,  June  10th,  we  again  assembled  in 
council  at  the  same  place.  Moses  forcibly  inti 
mated  that  he  would  do  his  best  to  comply  with  the 
wishes  of  the  government,  not  only  for  himself  and 
his  own  tribe,  but  for  many  other  bands. 

Smohollie,  with  his  hunch-back  figure  and  big 
head,  apparently  fearing  that  Moses  was  getting 
ahead  of  him  in  our  favor  or  in  diplomacy,  stood 
up  and  answered  with  loud  voice :  l '  Your  law  is 
my  law.  I  say  to  you,  yes.  I  will  be  on  a  reserva 
tion  by  September.  I  have  but  two  or  three  hun 
dred  people."  The  difference  between  Moses  and 
Smohollie  was  that  Moses  would  keep  his  promise 
and  Smohollie  could  not  be  relied  upon.  With  the 
Dreamer  this  may  have  been  to  some  extent  from 
want  of  actual  authority  with  his  people. 

The  oldest  chief  present  was  Thomas,  a  spare, 
tall  man  afflicted  with  a  nervous  trembling.  He 
said:  "  I  have  about  fifty  Indians  in  all.  I  will 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  275 

go  to  the  Umatilla  reservation  by  the  1st  of  Sep 
tember."  He  evidently  took  no  exact  account  of 
time,  for  he  did  not  get  there  till  the  ensuing  No 
vember.  All  the  others,  Skemiah,  One-eyed  John, 
and  Calwash,  made  similar  promises,  each  naming 
the  number  of  his  Indians.  The  five  Indians  who 
spoke  thus  strongly  in  the  council  were  consider 
able  chiefs,  and  it  was  gratifying  to  us  that  they 
made  these  promises.  They  did  not  join  the  non- 
treaty  Indians  who  subsequently  went  to  war,  and 
but  very  few  of  their  followers  behaved  badly  after 
that  council. 

It  was  an  impressive  story  that  we  told  them 
about  Joseph  and  his  discontented  Indians,  how 
they  had  already  yielded  to  the  persuasions  of 
government  officials  and  had  abstained  from  prep 
arations  for  war.  We  thought  so  then. 

The  next  day,  in  a  spring  wagon  drawn  by 
mules,  which  were  as  lively  and  more  enduring 
than  horses,  our  party  followed  the  Yakima  down 
its  southeasterly  course.  The  majority  of  the  In 
dians  had  separated  and  gone  back  to  the  people 
whom  they  represented,  but  there  were  still  with 
us  the  interpreter  and  many  mounted  braves. 
They  afforded  our  wagon  a  good  escort,  constantly 
riding  before,  behind,  and  on  our  flanks. 

We  arrived  at  the  Columbia  fatigued  by  the 
heat  and  hard  traveling  through  leagues  of  sand, 
and  it  was  yet  twenty  miles  to  our  destination— 
Wallula.  It  occurred  to  me  that  Indians  in  the 
vicinity  might  take  us  down  the  river  in  a  canoe, 
and  messengers  were  sped  on  ahead  to  secure  one. 
We  were  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yakima  at  sundown. 

17 


276  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Wilkinson  had  become  alarmingly  ill  and  begged 
to  be  left  at  a  half -civilized  ranch  near  that  place. 
It  was  very  important  for  Watkins  and  myself  to 
be  at  Wallula  to  catch  the  Lewiston  boat,  and  yet 
we  were  unwilling  to  leave  Wilkinson  behind. 

It  was  now  dark.  We  ran  to  the  bank  of  the 
river  and  called  loudly  for  the  canoe  that  the  In 
dian  messengers  were  to  have  in  readiness  at  that 
place.  After  waiting  a  short  time  two  of  Smo- 
hollie's  Indians  pushed  out  from  the  other  side  in 
the  darkness  and  silently  paddled  over  to  us  in  a 
long,  partly-decayed  dugout.  We  laid  Wilkinson 
on  a  narrow  bed  in  the  middle  of  the  boat.  Pam- 
brum  and  the  Indians  managed  the  boat,  wrhile 
Colonel  Watkins  and  I  sang  songs  and  told  stories 
till  Wilkinson,  to  our  surprise,  brightened  up  a 
little  and  insisted  upon  joining  us.  Past  the 
islands,  past  the  Homely  Rapids,  frightful  to  our 
small  boat,  past  the  mouth  of  the  Snake  River,  we 
sped  along  for  over  twenty  miles,  wind,  current, 
and  Indian  paddle  all  in  our  favor. 

By  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  just  as  dawn 
was  appearing,  we  pulled  up  at  the  Wallula  wharf. 
The  gangplank  of  the  up-river  steamer  was  about 
to  be  drawn  in  when  we  stepped  upon  its  deck. 
"  Fifteen  minutes  for  telegraph  messages  ?  "  I  said 
to  the  captain. 

"  Yes,  yes,"  he  answered,  "but  hurry."  The 
messages  were  sent,  and  in  less  time  than  I  asked 
the  plank  was  drawn  in  and  we  were  on  our  way 
to  Lewiston. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

OPENING  OF  HOSTILITIES  —  BATTLES  OF  WHITE   BIRD  CAN 
YON  AND  THE  CLEAR  WATER. 

A  Disquieting  Message  —  Starting  for  the  Front  —  Rendezvous  of 
Chief  Joseph  and  the  Hostiles  —  Discovering  the  Indian  Camp  — 
Guarding  Against  Surprise  —  Murdering  a  Husband  in  the  Pres 
ence  of  His  Wife  —  Women  and  Children  at  the  Mercy  of  Savages 
—  Indescribable  Brutalities  —  The  Battle  of  White  Bird  Canyon 
—  Slaughter  of  the  Troops  —  Death  of  Lieutenant  Theller  —  De 
feated  by  the  Indians  —  Burial  of  Our  Slain  Comrades  —  A  Forced 
March  —  An  Indian  Ambuscade  —  Battle  of  the  Clear  Water  — 
Flight  of  the  Indians  —  Preparation  for  a  Long  Chase. 

THE  thirty  days  given  to  the  Nez  Perces  to 
come  on  the  reservation  had  now  expired, 
and  I  was  again  at  Lapwai.  My  former 
aide-de-camp  Boyle  was  now  a  full-fledged  captain 
in  command  of  an  infantry  company  at  this  place. 
Perry,  who  was  a  colonel  by  brevet,  was  a  captain 
of  the  First  Cavalry,  and  his  troop  and  Captain 
Trimble's  completed  the  garrison.  Parnell,  also  a 
colonel  by  brevet,  was  really  a  lieutenant  in  Trim 
ble's  company.  Lieutenant  Theller  was  serving 
under  Captain  Boyle  in  the  infantry.  The  com 
mand  of  the  whole  garrison  at  this  time  devolved 
upon  Colonel  Perry. 

Everybody  was  happy  and  predicted  that  the 
war-cloud  had  passed  over.  But  we  sometimes 
arrive  at  conclusions  too  soon!  I  had  hardly 
stepped  inside  of  Perry's  doorway  when  a  mes 
senger,  who  had  evidently  ridden  fast  and  far, 
handed  him  a  letter,  dated  that  very  day,  and 


278  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

signed  by  a  prominent  citizen,  L.  P.  Brown  of  Mt. 
Idaho,  a  small  village  sixty  miles  distant  to  the 
southeast  and  not  far  beyond  the  limit  of  the  Lap- 
wai  reserve.  One  sentence  in  the  letter  was  this: 
"  They  (the  Indians)  say  openly  that  they  are 
going  to  fight  the  soldiers  wiien  they  come  up  to 
put  them  on  the  reservation."  The  letter  reported 
that  the  non-treaties  were  gathering  ammunition 
and  had  taken  a  strong  position  in  a  rocky  canyon, 
evidently  expecting  General  Howard  with  his 
troops. 

Another  sentence  in  the  letter  was  significant 
of  the  feeling  of  the  whites,  to  wit. :  "  Sharp  and 
prompt  action  will  bring  them  to  understand  that 
they  must  comply  with  the  orders  of  the  govern 
ment.  We  trust  such  action  will  be  taken  by  you 
as  to  remove  them  from  the  neighborhood  and 
quiet  the  feelings  of  the  people." 

That  rocky  canyon  to  which  the  letter  referred 
was  near  the  corner  of  the  Lapwai  reservation, 
just  beyond  the  boundary.  The  impression  I 
gained  from  the  general  tenor  of  the  letter,  and 
from  my  knowledge  of  the  locality,  was  that  the 
Indians  were  hesitating  just  what  they  had  better 
do.  As  a  matter  of  fact  they  were  hesitating  just 
then  because  they  had  in  their  own  bands  divided 
counsels. 

I  at  once  dispatched  a  scouting  party  with  in 
structions  to  reconnoiter  and  report  the  facts  in 
the  case  as  soon  as  possible.  The  scouts,  quickly 
on  the  road,  met  a  couple  of  friendly  Indians  and 
turned  back  with  them  on  account  of  an  alarming 
rumor.  The  friendly  Indians  declared  that  four 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  279 

of  the  malcontents — restless  young  Indians  of  the 
war  party— had  committed  a  murder  near  Slate 
Creek,  forty  miles  beyond  Mt.  Idaho.  It  appeared 
that  a  man  named  Larryott  had  previously  killed 
an  Indian,  and  that  they  had  begun  hostilities  by 
making  him  the  first  victim. 

Joseph's  father-in-law,  then  with  me,  was  a 
treaty  Indian.  He  insisted  that  Joseph  would  not 
fight  and,  he  volunteering,  we  sent  him  to  the  front 
with  a  few  other  friendly  Indians,  hoping  to  secure 
better  news.  Not  long  after  their  departure  all 
came  rushing  back  at  full  speed,  bringing  with  them 
a  half-breed  whose  name  was  West.  A  brother  of 
Looking-Glass  accompanied  him.  West  bore  the 
second  letter  from  L.  P.  Brown.  This  letter  stated 
that  some  settlers  about  eighteen  miles  from  Mt. 
Idaho  had  been  attacked  and  the  whole  party  killed 
or  wounded.  The  writer's  entreaty  was:  "  Don't 
delay  a  moment!  We  have  a  report  that  some 
whites  were  killed  yesterday  on  the  Salmon  River. 
.  .  .  Mr.  West  has  volunteered  to  go  to  Lapwai ; 
rely  on  his  statements." 

By  the  same  messengers  came  another  letter 
which  probably  the  brother  of  Looking-Glass  had 
received  later  and  with  it  had  overtaken  West 
while  on  the  road.  It  said:  "  Since  that  (letter) 
was  written  the  wounded  have  come  in,— Mr.  Day 
mortally,  Mrs.  Norton  with  both  legs  broken, 
Moore  shot  through  the  hips,  Norton  killed  and 
left  in  the  road  six  miles  from  here."  This  letter 
ended  with  these  words :  "  Hurry  up !  hurry !  rely 
on  this  Indian's  statement;  I  have  known  him  for 
a  long  time.  He  is  with  us." 


280  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

This  is  my  reply  of  June  15th:  — 
"  Mr.  Brown. 

Dear  Sir:— Your  two  dispatches  are  received. 
I  have  sent  forward  two  companies  of  cavalry  to 
your  relief.  They  leave  tonight.  Other  help  will 
be  en  route  as  soon  as  it  can  be  brought  up.  I  am 
glad  you  are  so  cool  and  ready.  Cheer  the  people. 
Help  shall  be  prompt  and  complete.  Lewiston  has 
been  notified. 

' '  Yours  truly, 

"  O.  O.  HOWARD." 

As  my  letter  indicated  Colonel  Perry  was  or 
dered  to  take  his  cavalry,  consisting  of  ninety  men, 
and  proceed  at  once  to  Mt.  Idaho,  and  do  what  was 
necessary  for  the  protection  of  the  people.  Perry 
needed  one  lieutenant  more,  so  Theller  was  detailed 
and  furnished  with  a  horse  to  accompany  the  de 
tachment.  I  had  no  more  men  to  send,  as  the  other 
company  was,  of  course,  needed  for  defense  of  the 
garrison.  It  was  a  great  risk  to  send  but  ninety 
men;  I  knew  it,  but  it  was  the  best  that  could  be 
done.  One  never  saw  two  finer  troops  of  cavalry 
than  those  which  set  out  for  the  front  on  the  even 
ing  of  the  15th  of  May. 

Reaching  the  vicinity  of  Mt.  Idaho  a  company 
of  volunteers  under  Captain  Chapman,  less  than 
fifty  strong,  reported  to  Perry,  and  urged  him  to 
go  on  at  once  some  eighteen  miles  further  and 
attack  the  Indians  and  drive  them  across  the  Sal 
mon  River.  The  idea  of  the  volunteers  and  of  the 
citizens  was  that  the  Indians  would  be  afraid  of 
the  troops  and  would  rush  off.  They  were,  in  fact, 
assembled  in  White  Bird  Canyon— a  deep  and 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  283 

broad  valley— and  very  strongly  posted  in  com 
plete  readiness  to  meet  any  body  of  troops  that  did 
not  exceed  their  fighting  men  in  number.  They 
probably  had  at  that  point  as  many  as  five  hundred 
Indians  bearing  arms.  Many  young  Indians  from 
other  tribes  had  joined  them,  delighted  to  take  a 
hand  in  the  war  that  Joseph  was  going  to  conduct. 

It  is  said,  and  it  is  now  generally  believed,  that 
Joseph  himself  was  away  from  the  Indians  at  the 
time  the  first  massacre  began,  and  that  the  first 
intimation  he  had  of  the  actual  state  of  things  was 
when  a  lot  of  young  braves  came  racing  back  into 
his  camp  and  showed  him  evidences  of  slaughter 
and  of  capture.  Admitting  this  to  be  true,  he  now 
decided  to  fight,  and  was  present  to  command  the 
whole  Indian  force,  which  was  standing  on  the  de 
fensive  in  White  Bird  Canyon. 

At  Grangeville,  a  small  hamlet  four  miles  from 
Mt,  Idaho,  Perry  gave  his  men  a  short  rest,  and 
then  set  out  to  follow  the  Indians,  strengthened  by 
the  few  volunteers,  who  appeared  very  eager  for 
the  conflict.  Marching  all  night  they  arrived  at 
early  dawn  on  the  high  crest  of  White  Bird.  Can 
yon.  Four  miles  away  they  could  just  discern  in 
the  dim  light  of  the  morning  the  faint  smokes  of 
Indian  camps.  All  the  signs,  such  as  the  move 
ments  of  herders,  of  horses,  of  sentinels  on  the 
watch,  and  the  extent  of  the  ground  occupied,  in 
dicated  only  a  small  number  of  Indians  present. 
Surely  this  was  not  the  whole  combination  of  dis 
satisfied  non-treaty  Indians.  The  citizens  were 
more  confident  than  ever  and  declared  that  what 
they  saw  was  only  a  rear-guard  of  Joseph's  outfit. 


284  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Perry,  though  not  wholly  convinced  of  the  fa 
vorable  nature  of  the  situation,  and  hoping  to  sur 
prise  the  camp,  whatever  it  was,  put  his  force  into 
as  good  order  as  possible.  The  infantry  officer, 
Lieutenant  Theller,  riding  a  good  horse,  was  sent 
out  some  hundred  yards  to  proceed  in  advance, 
with  eight  cavalrymen  for  guard  and  skirmish. 
Perry  followed  with  the  volunteers  and  his  own 
troop.  Trimble,  with  Parnell,  led  his  men  after 
Perry  with  a  short  interval.  With  horses  now 
quiet,  more  so  from  the  night  march  than  any 
thing  else,  all  in  column  of  fours,  the  handsome 
young  commander  began  the  descent  of  the  steep 
trail. 

They  had  not  gone  over  a  half  mile  when  poor 
Mrs.  Benedict  came  up,  leading  a  little  girl,  and 
carrying  her  baby  in  her  arms.  Her  husband  had 
been  murdered  in  her  presence,  and  she  had  suf 
fered  indescribable  outrage,  but  by  the  help  of 
some  compassionate  acquaintance  among  the  In 
dians  she  had  at  last  succeeded  in  escaping  from 
further  brutalities.  Believing  that  troops  would 
come  to  meet  the  Indians  down  that  canyon  road, 
she,  worn  out  with  fatigue  and  distress,  had  been 
awaiting  them,  lying  hidden  in  the  bushes  by  the 
wayside.  The  commander,  after  hearing  her  sad 
story,  provided  an  escort  from  the  volunteers  to 
take  her  and  the  children  to  Mt.  Idaho,  and  then 
pushed  on  into  the  valley. 

No  commander  could  have  located  his  men 
better  than  Joseph  had  done  for  a  defensive  battle. 
The  ground  was  rough  and  there  were  stony  buttes 
along  his  front,  and  his  entire  force  was  completely 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  285 

hidden  by  the  formation  of  the  ground.  His  flank 
ing  parties,  particularly  those  under  White  Bird, 
had  their  ponies  in  readiness.  Lieutenant  Theller 
began  the  action  by  skirmishing  straight  up  toward 
the  occupied  buttes,  while  the  citizens  ran  to  the 
left  hillock  with  a  hope  of  getting  beyond  the  In 
dians  in  that  direction. 

Trimble  deployed  his  troops  and  followed 
Theller  straight  forward,  while  he  himself  bore  off 
to  the  right  to  watch  his  exposed  right  flank. 

Soon  Perry 's  men  also  were  deployed  to  the  left 
of  Trimble's,  and  the  Indians  were  firing  sharply 
all  along  the  line.  Our  men  fired  as  best  they  could 
over  their  horses'  heads,  many  of  which  became  so 
excited  as  to  be  beyond  control.  Parnell  was  doing 
his  duty  near  the  center,  and  Perry,  with  a  trum 
peter  by  his  side,  was  doing  his  best  to  keep  a  fight 
ing  line  unbroken.  One  instant,  looking  to  the 
south,  they  saw  some  of  the  Indians  running  their 
ponies  to  high  ground  just  off  to  their  right  and 
rear.  Six  men  and  a  sergeant  flew  to  the  threat 
ened  knoll  and  repulsed  them.  Perry,  turning  to 
the  left,  noticed  that  two  of  the  citizens  were  limp 
ing  with  wounds,  and  that  the  remainder  of  the 
volunteers  were  fleeing  to  the  rear.  Just  then  his 
bugler  fell  dying  from  his  horse. 

At  this  decisive  juncture  of  a  fierce  battle  Perry 
saw  that  the  Indians  had  at  least  three  to  one 
against  him,  and  that  both  his  flanks  were  turned. 
It  was  evident  that  he  could  not  go  to  the  Salmon 
River  nor  stay  where  he  was  many  minutes,  so  he 
ordered  the  command  back  to  the  foothills  of  the 
canyon  whence  he  had  come,  but  amid  the  yelling 


286  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

of  the  Indians  and  the  rapid  firing  of  rifles  and 
carbines  there  was  no  longer  any  order  whatever, 
so  that  a  confused  mass,  sauv e  qid  peut,  started  to 
the  rear,  the  swifter  horses  having  the  lead. 

Chief  White  Bird  and  his  flankers  ran  their 
ponies  with  all  speed  to  get  to  the  crest  of  the  can 
yon  before  the  troops,  and  starting  so  soon,  just 
after  their  first  check  at  the  knoll,  they  had  the  ad 
vantage.  Indians  also  pursued  and  kept  within 
easy  rifle  range  of  Perry's  rear,  so  that  all  along 
the  way  horses  and  men  were  falling.  Every  white 
man  that  fell  was  slain. 

Up  the  foothills  of  the  canyon  were  ravines  and 
ridges,  and  our  remaining  men  under  Theller  were 
trying  to  ascend  first  a  ravine  and  then  a  ridge. 
So  many  Indians  came  upon  him  tha,t  soon  horse 
and  rider  fell;  Theller  and  the  majority  of  his 
cavalrymen  were  slain.  All  our  men  that  reached 
the  crest  were  quickly  reorganized  and  covered  by 
skirmish  rear-guard;  turning  to  the  right  they 
pursued  their  way,  slowly  retreating  and  beating 
back  the  Indians  without  further  disaster  for  the 
next  ten  miles.  After  that  the  Indians  gave  up  the 
chase  and  returned  to  Joseph's  position  in  White 
Bird  Canyon. 

Before  night  of  that  eventful  day,  June  16th, 
1877,  I  had  received  the  terrible  news  at  Lapwai. 
I  shall  never  forget  a  message  in  Perry's  note  to 
me:  "Please  break  the  news  of  her  husband's 
death  to  Mrs.  Theller."  When  I  opened  her  djoor 
she  anticipated  my  tidings  and  cried  out:  "  Oh, 
my  husband ! ':  They  had  no  children ;  he  was  her 
all,  and  her  heart  was  broken.  Thirty-three  out  of 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  287 

the  ninety  that  had  left  Lapwai  in  health  and 
strength,  all  in  the  buoyancy  of  young  manhood, 
were  slain,  and  Perry  was  humiliated.  A  defeat 
is  hard  to  bear. 

At  the  time  I  had  only  one  small  company  of 
infantry  with  me  at  Lapwai,  but  my  men,  respond 
ing  to  telegrams,  were  on  the  wTay  from  every  part 
of  the  immense  Department  of  the  Columbia. 
When  I  had  gathered  not  to  exceed  two  hundred 
of  them  I  moved  forward,  taking  command  in 
person,  setting  out  at  noon,  June  22d. 

Meanwhile  Joseph  had  succeeded  in  picking  up 
small  parties  of  soldiers  and  citizen  scouts,  and 
had  slain  them  all.  We  moved  with  care  until  we 
joined  Perry  at  Grange ville.  When  I  thought  my 
command  was  sufficiently  strong  I  began  active 
pursuit  of  the  Indians.  At  Mt.  Idaho  we  met 
women  and  children  who  had  been  outraged  and 
wounded.  We  passed  into  White  Bird  Canyon 
and  there  buried  our  comrades.  We  then  crossed 
over  the  Salmon  River,  at  that  time  foaming  and 
tumbling  like  a  boiling  caldron,  and  ran  down  all 
.the  trails  and  recrossed  the  Salmon  at  its  widest 
point  not  far  from  its  mouth,  for  the  Indians  had 
gotten  over  on  their  skin  rafts,  hauled  by  their 
swimming  ponies,  and  had  turned  back  eastward 
between  us  and  Lapwai,  crossing  the  broad  prairies 
to  the  west  and  north  of  Grangeville. 

I  had  managed  at  last  to  gather  a  force  of  be 
tween  five  and  six  hundred  in  number,  with  two 
field-pieces  (small  cannon)  and  a  Gatling  gun. 
Locating  the  Indians  as  well  as  I  could  in  the  wild 
forest  southeast  of  Kamia,  near  the  head  waters 


288  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

of  one  of  the  branches  of  the  Clear  Water,  I  made 
a  march  in  one  day  of  forty-four  miles,  using 
country  wagons  to  carry  about  a  third  of  the  in 
fantry  at  a  time,  while  the  remainder  marched  on 
foot. 

On  the  llth  of  July  we  discovered  Joseph  as  we 
were  descending  the  right  bank  of  the  Clear  Water. 
He  and  his  men  were  waiting  for  us;  his  women 
and  baggage  were  on  the  other  side  of  the  river. 
It  was  a  woody  country,  full  of  rough  knolls  and 
transverse  ravines.  In  one  of  these  the  Indians 
lay  concealed  until  my  troops  had  passed  them. 
They  then  sprang  out  and  ran  to  close  in  my  com 
mand  between  themselves  and  the  river  where  there 
was  a  considerable  bend.  We  faced  them,  deploy 
ing  our  lines  and  putting  all  our  supplies  and  am 
munition,  carried  by  our  pack-mules,  between  us 
and  the  river.  At  first  we  had  a  spring  of  water  in 
our  possession,  and  also  a  small,  muddy  pond  of 
bad  water. 

The  battle  began  and  was  so  fiercely  contested 
that  the  Indians  at  night  had  us  completely  hemmed 
in  and  were  in  possession  of  our  spring  of  water. 
The  other  water  neither  our  men  nor  the  animals 
would  drink.  The  Indians  were  very  confident, 
but  the  next  morning,  using  my  artillerymen, 
Colonel  Marcus  P.  Miller  commanding  them,  I 
first  recovered  the  spring,  then  everybody  had 
breakfast.  After  that  Colonel  Miller  with  his  ar 
tillerymen  broke  through  the  Indian  line  and  met 
Jackson's  troop  of  cavalry,  which  was  bringing  to 
us  fresh  supplies. 

Miller,  after  meeting  Jackson,  caused  him  to 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  289 

rush  across  the  Indian  line  with  his  supplies  while 
he  himself  made  a  quick  movement,  which  I  had 
ordered  him  to  try,  turning  to  the  left  and  rolling 
up  the  Indian  lines.  They  were  surprised  and  fled 
in  a  panic,  and  swam  the  river  or  waded  it  where 
the  water  was  not  too  deep,  and  set  their  whole  body 
quickly  in  full  retreat.  I  do  not  think  that  I  had  to 
exercise  more  thorough  generalship  during  the 
Civil  War  than  I  did  in  that  march  to  the  battle 
field,  and  in  the  ensuing  battle  with  Joseph  and  his 
Indians  on  the  banks  of  the  Clear  Water. 

We  immediately  took  up  the  pursuit  and  fol 
lowed  the  hostiles  as  far  as  Kamia.  There  the  In 
dians,  still  numbering  between  six  and  seven  hun 
dred,  according  to  an  estimate  made  at  the  time, 
recrossed  the  Clear  Water.  We  had  skirmishes 
with  them,  and  tried  the  metal  of  our  Gatling  gun, 
but  our  foes  easily  kept  beyond  its  range  and  were 
very  cautious  about  engaging  in  battle  again.  I 
sent  out  Colonel  E.  C.  Mason,  my  chief-of-staff, 
with  all  the  cavalry  I  could  muster,  to  press  the  In 
dians  '  rear  as  they  were  retiring  by  what  was  called 
the  Lolo  Trail,  which  led  through  the  forest  toward 
Montana.  Mason  overtook  Joseph's  rear-guard, 
had  a  skirmish  near  a  forest  glade  not  far  from 
Kamia,  and  then  returned  in  haste  to  me.  Mean 
while  I  was  getting  ready  for  what  I  believed  would 
be  a  long  chase. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

PURSUIT  AND  DEFEAT  OF  THE  INDIANS  —  SURRENDER 
OF  CHIEF  JOSEPH. 

Marching  through  a  Rough  Country  —  Word  from  General  Gibbon  — 
An  Experienced  Scout  and  Frontiersman  —  The  Fleeing  Indians 
Turn  Back  Upon  Me  —  A  Vicious  Night  Attack  —  Half-breed  Buck 
ing  Ponies  —  Arrival  in  the  National  Park  —  Murdering  a  Party  of 
Visitors  —  Lost  in  the  Forest  —  "  The  Howard  Road  "  —  Unwearied 
and  Relentless  Pursuit  of  the  Indians  —  An  Adroit  Indian  Chief  — 
Running  the  Gauntlet  —  Slim  Chances  of  Success  —  The  Surrender. 

1HAD  with  me  a  few  troops  from  California, 
but  my  main  dependence  was  upon  the  artil 
lery  acting  as  infantry,  a  majority  of  the 
Twenty-first  Infantry  as  a  battalion  under  Cap 
tain  Evan  Miles,  the  greater  part  of  the  cavalry 
under  Major  Sanford,  and  a  company  of  volun 
teers  under  Captain  McConville.  It  was  necessary 
to  divide  my  command,  leaving  a  portion  at  Kamia 
under  the  command  of  Colonel  John  Green  to 
guard  against  the  return  of  the  hostiles  or  any 
further  outbreak  in  the  department. 

Captain  Spurgin  of  the  Twenty-first  Infantry 
was  put  in  charge  of  a  select  body  of  fifty  citizens 
employed  by  my  quartermaster,  who  were  able  to 
do  some  sort  of  engineering  work.  They  took  with 
them  the  necessary  axes,  picks,  and  shovels,  but 
owing  to  the  character  of  the  trail  from  Oregon  to 
Montana  we  could  take  no  wagons,  so  all  that  we 
had  in  the  line  of  supplies  was  borne  by  pack  ani 
mals.  Another  small  volunteer  force,  called  "  The 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  291 

Scouts, "  was  added  under  the  charge  of  Captain 
Bobbins.  Among  them  we  had  a  few  Indians  from 
the  friendly  Nez  Perces,  and  later  some  from  the 
Bannocks,  with  quite  a  number  of  selected  fron 
tiersmen.  This  body,  well  organized,  varied  from 
day  to  day — never,  all  told,  exceeding  fifty  men. 

From  Kamia  a  long  and  tedious  march  began 
on  the  26th  of  July,  1877.  The  Indians  were  al 
ready  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  ahead,  and  yet 
over  the  Lolo  Trail  the  first  day  we  made  but  six 
miles.  A  rougher  country  one  could  hardly  imag 
ine,  and  the  short  march  looked  discouraging  even 
to  our  experienced  officers,  but  I  knew  that  mus 
cular  endurance  would  develop  as  wre  went  on,  and 
that  our  men  would  be  untiring.  The  Indians 
generally  make  their  greatest  distance  the  first  day 
and  then  slacken  and  rest  when  they  are  not  closely 
pursued.  General  Gibbon  opposed  the  hostiles 
with  volunteers  and  a  few  regulars  at  the  Montana 
end  of  the  Lolo  Trail,  but  they  easily,  by  the  help 
of  friendly  Flatheads,  turned  his  flank  and  es 
caped  battle  there.  %  Then,  notifying  me,  he  pushed 
on  after  them  as  rapidly  as  he  could  until  he  over 
took  them  at  the  mouth  of  Big  Hole  Pass. 

As  we  were  pushing  on  with  all  our  might, 
horses  getting  weak  and  weary  from  overwork  and 
underfeeding,  we  were  met  by  a  second  messenger 
from  General  Gibbon.  His  message  apprised  us 
that  he  had  had  a  battle,  beginning  at  daylight  on 
the  9th  of  August,  at  first  successful,  "  but  they 
(the  Indians)  then  turned  on  us,  forced  us  out  of 
it  (the  camp),  and  compelled  us  to  take  the  de 
fensive.'7  Gibbon  had  a  number  of  wounded  who 


292  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

needed  medical  attendance,  and  his  men  seemed 
to  be  in  pretty  bad  condition,  as  it  was  difficult  for,, 
them  to  cover  themselves  against  the  NezrPerce 
rifles.  The  general  closed  with  these  yords: 
6 '  Hope  you  will  hurry  to  our  relief. ' ' 

As  quickly  as  it  could  be  done  I  made  th<^niarch 
to  the  vicinity  of  the  Big  Hole,  when  Josejfh,  Jiear- 
ing  of  my  coming,  made  off  eastward  with  nis  In 
dians.  General  Gibbon  had  been  wounded^n  the 
leg,  but  notwithstanding  this  was  able  to*ricfe  with 
me  over  the  battlefield. 

At  Junction  Station,  Montana,  a<  pVace  where 
the  stages  halted  before  continuing  their  journey, 
our  cavalry  was  so  weak  that  we  were  Obliged:  to 
stop  and  rest  for  a  few  hours.  Here  another  com 
pany  of  volunteers  joined  us  with  fresh  horses, 
and  remained  with  us  a  couple  of  days.  From  this 
point  I  sent  Lieutenant  Bacon  in  command  of  two 
troops  of  cavalry,  giving  him  for  a  guides  wonder 
fully  skilled  frontiersman  by  the  name  fef  Fisher. 
He  was  very  deaf,  but  possessed  extraordinary 
sharpness  of  sight,  and  was  a  capital  scout.  He 
took  with  him  a  few  Bannocks,  among  whom  was 
the  famous  Buffalo  Horn.  Bacon  wa&  to  move 
rapidly  away  from  the  Indian  trails  and'  strike  in 
by  Henry  Lake  in  the  vicinity  of  Tach^L'  Pass,  a 
^gateway  to  the  National  Park.  He  was  w  head  off 
the  Indians  and  detain  them  by  his  fire  till  we  could 
come  upon  them  from  the  rear.  Bacon  got  into 
position  soon  enough,  but  did  not  have  the  heart  to 
fight  the  Indians  on  account  of  their  number. 

While  he  was  gone  the  Indians  turned  back 
upon  me,  on  the  Camas  Meadows,  where  there  were 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  293 

piles  of  lava  covered  with  vegetation,  and  offered 
battle  in  the  night.  They  fired  into  our  camp,  ran 
off  our  mules,  having  first  cut  the  strap  of  the  bell- 
mare,  so  that  she  ceased  to  be  their  leader,  then 
ran  from  our  cavalry  and  attacked  one  of  Captain 
Norwood's  companies,  which  had  strayed  far  to 
the  front  during  the  rapid  advance.  We  succeeded 
in  recovering  most  of  the  mules  and  setting  Joseph 
and  his  people  again  in  rapid  motion.  He  went 
straight  toward  the  National  Park,  where  Lieu 
tenant  Bacon  let  him  go  by  and  pass  through  the 
narrow  gateway  without  firing  a  shot. 

Buffalo  Horn  was  disgusted  because  we  did  not 
follow  the  Indians  with  more  energy,  and  he 
wanted  me  to  kill  Captains  John  and  George,  our 
favorite  Nez  Perce  scouts,  because,  as  he  insisted, 
it  was  they  who  cut  the  strap  of  the  bell-mare  and 
betrayed  us  to  the  Indians.  After  this  night  fight, 
in  which  some  of  our  volunteers  became  badly  de 
moralized  while  wading  a  deep  creek  and  losing 
some  of  their  arms  and  ammunition,  a  number  of 
them  took  final  leave  of  our  expedition  and  went 
back  to  their  homes. 

At  this  place,  Henry  Lake,  I  encamped  for 
three  days,  as  I  was  obliged  to  halt  for  supplies. 
I  thought  perhaps  we  had  gone  far  enough  and 
that  the  troops  of  other  departments  would  com- 
plete  what  we  had  so  well  begun ;  but  hearing  from 
General  Sherman  that  I  should  continue  the  pur 
suit  of  the  Indians  until  relieved  by  some  other 
officer  of  sufficient  rank  and  energy,  I  took  Lieu 
tenant  Guy  Howard,  my  aide-de-camp,  with  me 
and  went  north  seventy-five  miles  for  the  supplies, 

18 


294  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

riding  night  and  day  to  what  was  called  Virginia 
City,  then  a  small  mining  village.  I  bought  nearly 
everything  that  the  village  could  furnish  in  the 
way  of  provisions,  clothing,  and  fresh  animals. 
The  horses  were  pronounced  "well  broken,"  but 
subsequent  experience  proved  this  to  be  untrue. 
As  I  wrote  at  the  time,  "  such  a  pitching  and  plung 
ing,  hooting  and  yelling,  running  and  falling,  made 
one  think  of  danger  ahead  from  something  besides 
Indians."  The  bucking  of  a  half -broken  half- 
breed  pony  is  always  exciting  and  frequently  dan 
gerous. 

My  aide  and  myself  returned  within  three  days 
and  the  command  was  again  set  in  motion.  In  the 
National  Park  the  Indians  had  killed  or  wounded 
all  the  men  of  a  party  of  visitors,  but  had  spared 
.the  women,  and  finally  sent  them  to  their  homes. 
We  met  one  man  who  was  deranged  and  nearly 
starved;  another  had  been  left  for  dead,— him  we 
rescued  and  returned  to  his  wife,  already  in  mourn 
ing;  a  third  was  also  badly  wounded,  but  finally 
recovered  and  returned  to  Bozeman. 

Joseph  had  gone  on  through  the  park  and  be 
yond  the  Yellowstone  and,  fortunately  for  us,  had 
become  lost  for  a  few  days  in  the  entangled  forest 
of  that  region.  The  road  that  we  made  for  a  hun 
dred  miles  across  the  park  is  still  pointed  out  to 
tourists  as  "  The  Howard  Road."  Of  course  we 
had  a  view  of  the  geysers  and  hot  springs,  and  of 
Mary  Lake ;  we  marveled  at  the  falls,  which  exceed 
Niagara  in  height.  High  up  that  river  we  built  a 
bridge,  using  the  logs  which,  already  suited  to  our 
purpose,  we  had  found  in  a  deserted  house. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  295 

Thinking  I  was  too  tired  or  too  old  for  such  an 
extraordinary  march,  General  Sherman  dispatched 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Gilbert,  an  officer  much  older 
than  I,  though  of  less  rank,  with  a  body  of  cavalry 
from  Fort  Ellis  to  overtake  me,  relieve  me  from 
duty,  and  take  my  place ;  but  it  was  not  to  be.  The 
stern  chase  was  so  hard  that  after  ten  days'  trial 
Gilbert  and  his  worn-out  horses  gave  up  the  chase 
and  returned  to  the  fort. 

Everybody  will  remember  the  Ouster  massacre, 
that  took  place  June  25, 1876.  Taking  as  a  nucleus 
the  remnant  of  the  Seventh  Cavalry,  that  suffered 
so  heavy  a  loss  at  the  battle  of  Little  Big  Horn,  a 
new  Seventh  Regiment  had  been  organized. 
Colonel  Sturgis  was  commanding  it  in  the  vicinity 
of  Hart's  Mountain.  We  knew  that  the  Indians, 
following  the  usual  Nez  Perce  trails,  would  prob 
ably  pass  over  the  top  of  that  mountain.  I  had 
sent  word  to  Sturgis  to  head  them  off,  as  he  had  a 
full  regiment  of  well-drilled  cavalry  in  good  trim 
for  campaigning  and  ready  for  a  quick  march. 
We  had  reason  to  believe  that  our  campaign  was 
about  to  end  in  a  great  victory.  But  Joseph's 
scouts,  aided  by  a  few  wily  Crow  Indians,  suc 
ceeded  in  deceiving  Sturgis  and  in  getting  the 
Seventh  Cavalry  some  forty  miles  off  the  trail. 

Joseph  and  his  Indians  passed  on  over  Hart's 
Mountain  and,  with  my  command,  I  was  not  far 
behind.  He  deviated  from  the  usual  path  after 
clearing  the  mountain,  and  went  through  a  strange 
canyon,  where  the  rocks  on  each  side  came  so  near 
together  that  two  horses  abreast  could  hardly  pass. 
After  clearing  this  canyon,' Joseph,  feeling  himself 


296  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

comparatively  safe,  allowed  his  band  to  rest  by 
making  shorter  marches.  But  soon  Sturgis,  find 
ing  himself  behind  them,  turned  back  and  overtook 
my  command.  Adding  something  to  his  force,  I 
encouraged  Sturgis  to  make  a  forced  march  and 
overtake  the  Indians,  who  were  now  not  far  ahead. 
He  was  glad  enough  to  do  this  to  allay  in  a  measure 
his  chagrin  at  being  outwitted  by  them. 

The  next  day  I  had  made  a  march  of  some 
twenty-five  miles  when  a  message  came  from  my 
aide-de-camp,  Lieutenant  Fletcher,  who  was  with 
Sturgis,  that  they  had  had  a  running  fight  with  the 
hostiles,  and  that  there  was  a  prospect  of  a  decisive 
battle  before  I  could  reach  them.  I  rested  for 
three  hours ;  then,  taking  fifty  cavalrymen  with  me 
and  ordering  my  chief -of -staff  to  follow  with  the 
command  in  the  early  morning,  I  marched  all 
night.  At  sunrise  we  found  the  upper  waters  of 
the  Yellowstone  before  us.  Crossing  over  I  was  on 
the  battlefield  a  little  after  ten  o'clock. 

Finding  that  the  wily  Indian  chief  had  again 
escaped  after  small  loss,  I  gathered  up  my  forces 
and,  retaining  Sturgis'  cavalry  with  me,  moved 
along  more  deliberately  toward  the  Musselshell. 
There  wras  little  hope  of  overtaking  the  Indians  by 
direct  pursuit.  Information  led  us  to  suppose  that 
they  were  running  the  gauntlet  of  the  Judith  Basin 
across  the  Musselshell  and  then  the  Missouri  some 
where  above  Carroll,  and  that  they  would  probably 
push  on  rapidly  into  the  British  territory.  They, 
in  fact,  did  this,  defeating  a  guard  of  regular 
troops  and  capturing  a  wagonload  of  supplies  at 
the  Missouri  crossing,  biit  I  did  not  yet  know  of 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  297 

that  encounter.  My  only  hope  of  striking  the  In 
dians  lay  in  apprising  Colonel  Miles  (afterward 
Lieutenant-General  of  the  Army)  of  the  situation, 
and  asking  him  to  make  a  diagonal  march  across 
our  front  and  take  Joseph  unawares. 

Colonel  Miles  was  said  to  be  near  the  mouth  of 
Tongue  River.  I  sent  one  dispatch  to  him  by  mes 
sengers  riding  overland  and  another  by  a  boat 
down  the  Yellowstone.  These  messages  reached 
him  and  he  replied,  telling  me  what  he  would  un 
dertake,  and  that  he  would  start  immediately  upon 
the  expedition.  Sturgis  and  I  slowed  our  marches 
for  fear  of  causing  the  Indians  to  hasten  too 
rapidly,  but  Miles  with  his  mounted  infantry 
made  rapid  and  extended  marches,  crossing  the 
Missouri  near  the  mouth  of  the  Musselshell.  The 
first  news  I  received  from  the  front  came  in  a  re 
markable  way.  Colonel  Mason,  Dr.  Alexander, 
and  myself  were  riding  together.  I  told  them  that 
I  had  asked  the  great  Master  for  success,  even  if 
the  credit  were  given  to  another,  and  that  I  be 
lieved  we  should  yet  have  a  favorable  ending  to  the 
campaign.  The  doctor  rallied  me  concerning  my 
conviction,  for  which  he  could  see  no  reason,  and 
Mason  replied  pleasantly,  but  seemed  to  lack  faith 
in  the  possibility  of  such  an  outcome.  A  very  short 
time  after  this  conversation  two  messengers  came 
riding  rapidly,  and  reported  that  Colonel  Miles  had 
overtaken  the  Indians  and  that  an  engagement 
was  imminent. 

We  now  pushed  on  as  rapidly  as  possible  to  the 
Missouri.  In  plain  sight  of  Carroll  was  the 
steamer  Benton  ready  for  my  use.  Leaving 


298  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Mason,  my  chief-of-staff,  to  move  my  command 
proper  and  Sturgis'  Seventh  Cavalry  over  the 
river  to  a  designated  point  between  Miles  and  what 
was  called  the  permanent  camp  of  Sitting  Bull  on 
the  British  side  of  the  line,  I  steamed  up  to  the 
Indians '  crossing  near  Cowr  Island.  I  had  with  me 
two  aides,  Lieutenant  C.  E.  S.  Wood  and  Lieuten 
ant  Guy  Howard.  I  had  also  the  two  Nez  Perce 
scouts,  Captains  John  and  George,  and  several 
American  scouts.  We  promptly  took  up  the  In 
dian  trail,  plain  enough  now  for  anybody  to  fol 
low,  and  on  we  went,  meeting  now  and  then 
messengers  who  apprised  us  of  the  situation. 

Miles  had  had  a  battle,  but  it  had  not  been  alto 
gether  decisive.  It  was  near  what  was  called  "  The 
Little  Rockies,"  a  part  of  the  upper  portion  of  the 
Bear  Paw  Mountain. 

One  night  we  camped  on  the  trail,  where  we 
had  wood  enough— which  we  much  needed  on  ac 
count  of  the  extreme  cold— but  the  water  was  alka 
line  and  caused  much  sickness  among  my  men. 
Still  none  were  left  behind.  During  the  day  we 
met  some  scouts,  who  reported  that  Indians  were 
between  us  and  Miles'  bivouac.  They  said  that 
they  could  not  go  on  and  had  turned  back,  but  we 
found  the  supposed  Indians  to  be  friendly  hunters 
and  so  pursued  our  wray. 

It  was  early  in  the  evening  when  we  came  upon 
the  crest  of  a  hill  and  saw  the  campfires  of  our 
troops.  We  heard  firing,  and  some  of  the  bullets 
whistled  over  our  heads,  and  as  I  thought  that  our 
party  had  been  mistaken  for  savages  I  cried  out : 
"  What  are  you  firing  at  us  for?  " 


MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES  299 

Just  then  Miles  himself  with  a  small  escort  met 
and  took  me  to  his  headquarters.  That  night  we 
consulted  together ;  he  showed  me  how  the  Indians 
had  dug  deep  holes  instead  of  ordinary  entrench 
ments;  that  part  of  the  herd  of  Indian  ponies  had 
been  captured  and  a  part  was  still  in  the  possession 
of  the  Indians;  that  he  was  very  anxious  for  a 
speedy  surrender.  He  had  sent  in  a  brave  and 
capable  officer,  who  had  been  for  a  while  detained 
by  Joseph,  but  at  last  had  returned,  having 
been  unable  to  bring  matters  to  a  decision.  I 
proposed  to  send  in  my  two  Nez  Perce  scouts,  Cap 
tains  John  and  George,  bearing  a  white  flag.  I 
believed  that  they  could  secure  a  prompt  surrender 
of  Joseph  and  all  his  people  who  were  with  him. 

The  next  day  this  was  done.  Miles  and  myself 
sat  side  by  side  upon  the  slope  of  a  hill  in  plain 
view  of  both  contestants,  when  "  Captain  John," 
accompanied  by  George,  moved  off  on  foot  swing 
ing  his  white  flag. 

We  did  not  have  very  long  to  wait.  The  scouts 
returned  and  bore  Joseph's  message  to  the  effect 
that  he  had  done  all  he  could  and  that  he  left  his 
people  and  himself  in  our  hands.  Some  of  the  In 
dians  violated  the  promise  they  had  made  to 
Joseph,  creeping  out  of  camp  in  the  night  and  es 
caping.  One  of  them  was  Chief  White  Bird. 

It  was  rather  a  forlorn  procession  that  came  up 
out  of  that  Indian  bivouac.  They  were  covered 
with  dirt,  their  clothing  was  torn,  and  their  ponies, 
such  as  they  were,  were  thin  and  lame.  A  few  of 
the  Indians  preserved  their  dignified  bearing  and 
had  attired  themselves  as  best  they  could  for  the 


300  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

occasion.  When  Joseph  appeared  he  extended  his 
rifle  to  me  and  I  waived  it  over  to  Colonel  Miles, 
who  had  planned  and  made  a  swift  diagonal  march, 
and  so  bravely  fought  the  last  battle. 

That  night  Miles  and  I  slept  again  in  Ms  tent. 
He  made  his  report  to  his  department  commander, 
and  a  little  later  I  made  mine.  I  had  been  in 
structed  by  McDowell  to  send  the  Indians  back  to 
the  Department  of  the  Columbia,  and  I  so  gave 
Joseph  to  understand,  but  I  was  overruled  from 
Washington,  and  Miles  was  ordered  to  keep  them 
for  the  time  being  and  finally  send  them  to  the  In 
dian  Territory. 

All  this  was  done.  My  own  troops  were  brought 
back  to  the  Missouri,  sent  down  that  river  in  steam 
boats  as  far  as  Omaha,  and  thence  taken  back  by 
rail  and  ocean  steamers  to  Oregon  and  Washington 
Territory.  I  returned  to  my  headquarters  in  Port 
land,  Oregon,  reaching  home  the  last  of  November. 
From  the  last  day  of  May  until  the  last  of  Novem 
ber  I  had  been  under  the  severe  strain  of  an  ardu 
ous  campaign.  We  had  marched  one  thousand 
three  hundred  and  twenty-one  miles  in  seventy- 
five  days.  Joseph's  loss  during  the  entire  period 
was  over  a  hundred.  Too-hul-hul-sote,  Looking- 
Glass,  and  Joseph's  brother  Ollicut  perished  in 
battle.  Our  own  losses  in  all  the  battles  included 
several  valuable  officers,  and  nearly  as  many  men 
as  were  lost  by  the  Indians. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

STARTING   FOR   ALASKA  —  EXPERIENCES   WITH   ALASKAN 
CHIEFS  AND  TRIBES. 

Reservation  Indians  of  Puget  Sound  —  Evil  Results  of  Dissolute  White 
Men  Mingling  with  Indians  —  Indians  as  Coal  Miners  —  Wonder 
fully  Picturesque  and  Varied  Scenery  —  Arrival  at  Fort  WTrangel 
—  Some  Dejected  Indians  —  Listening  to  their  Grievances  —  In 
fluence  of  Strong  Drink  —  Presenting  a  Tribe  with  the  Dead  Body 
of  their  Chief  —  A  Dance  of  Satisfaction  —  A  Pantomine  Show  — 
Begging  for  a  Teacher  —  Hideously-painted  Faces  —  Sitka  Indian 
Chiefs  —  Extreme  Poverty  and  Vicious  Indulgence  —  Results  of 
Missionary  Efforts  —  Brief  Sketch  of  Colonel  Guy  Howard's  Career. 

WHEN  I  first  assumed  command  of  the  De 
partment  of  the  Columbia  Alaska  was 
within  my  jurisdiction.  I  had  already 
visited  several  reservations  on  Puget  Sound,  for 
example,  the  Skokomish,  the  Swinomish,  the  Tula- 
lip,  and  the  Neah  Bay.  The  Indians  upon  these 
public  lands  were  substantially  of  the  same  de 
scription,  differing  a  little  in  dialects.  They  were 
not  so  tall  as  the  Indians  of  the  interior,  and  they 
had  no  horses.  Their  bodies  were  long  and  their 
legs  short,  as  one  would  expect  from  a  people  that 
spent  more  than  half  their  time  in  canoes  and 
paddle-boats.  Those  on  Puget  Sound  were,  for 
the  most  part,  dressed  in  citizens'  clothing. 

On  each  reserve,  however,  there  were  two 
groups:  the  larger  dressed  as  we  do  and  lived  in 
small  houses,  but  the  smaller  group  adhered 
tenaciously  to  old  Indian  customs.  They  usu 
ally  wore  leggins,  moccasins,  breech-cloth,  and 


302  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

blanket;  they  painted  their  faces  more  or  less,  often 
hideously,  using  deep  colors.  Some  of  the  uncivil 
ized  people  of  the  Coast  tribes  were  very  low  in 
their  habits  of  life  and  in  their  morals ;  where  dis 
solute  white  men  from  the  logging  camps  and  mills 
and  from  incoming  vessels  mingled  with  them, 
scrofulous  diseases  were  coupled  with  other  signs 
of  degradation. 

The  civilized  Indians  on  the  Tulalip  and  nearly 
all  on  the  Skokomish  reservations,  the  former 
Roman  Catholic  and  the  latter  Protestant,  have 
been  educated  in  a  Christian  way  and  encouraged 
to  marry  early  in  life.  Their  lives  are  simple  and 
exemplary.  The  men  have  become  useful  in  cut 
ting  timber  and  in  working  in  the  numerous  mills 
along  the  Sound,  while  the  women  are  fairly  good 
housekeepers.  I  found  some  of  their  houses  very 
neat  and  tidy  throughout,  with  all  the  essential  ap 
purtenances  of  civilized  life. 

In  the  early  summer  of  1875  the  members  of  a 
court-martial  were  to  sail  for  Alaska  on  the 
steamer  California,  and  I  thought  it  would  be  an 
excellent  opportunity  to  accompany  them  for  the 
purpose  of  making  a  tour  of  inspection  in  that 
distant  portion  of  my  department.  I  also  took  ad 
vantage  of  this  official  visit  to  give  an  outing  to  my 
wife  and  children.  We  left  Portland,  Oregon,  on 
the  2d  of  June,  proceeding  by  railroad  and  a  Sound 
steamer  as  far  as  Victoria,  and  thence  by  the  regu 
lar  transport,  the  California.  The  steamer  sailed 
from  Portland  by  way  of  the  Columbia  River  and 
the  Pacific  Ocean  to  Victoria,  thence  by  "  the  in 
ner  passage  "  to  Wrangel  and  Sitka. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  303 

At "  Nanaimo, "  an  English  post,  I  accompanied 
the  officers  of  the  court-martial  to  some  extensive 
coal  mines  whfere  many  Indians  were  at  work  with 
other  employees.  The  Indians  in  the  neighbor 
hood  did  not  exceed  two  hundred.  They  were 
fairly  well  dressed  in  civilians'  clothing,  and  had 
clean  faces;  there  was  no  regular  school;  a  small 
mission  of  the  Methodist  persuasion  was  active 
among  them. 

The  voyage  from  Nanaimo  to  Wrangel  was 
very  pleasant.  The  gulfs  and  sounds  were  con 
nected  by  straits  and  bays,  which  seemed  like  a 
succession  of  beautiful  rivers.  Wonderfully  pic 
turesque  ^  and  varied  was  that  "inner  passage." 
At  times  there  was  on  the  right  and  left  a  wall  of 
magnificent  mountains  rising  from  two  to  three 
thousand  feet,  snow-crowned  and  covered  with 
trees ;  glistening  cascades  falling  hundreds  of  feet ; 
streams  coursing  like  silver  threads  down  the 
mountain  sides;  mighty  glaciers  and  extensive 
snow  fields;  every  natural  feature  that  travelers 
go  beyond  the  ocean  to  see  here  meets  and  delights 
the  eye. 

We  had  heard  and  read  enthusiastic  descrip 
tions  of  the  Alaska  journey,  but  could  never  have 
imagined  half  the  wonderful  beauty  of  this  shel 
tered  and  safe  inland  passage  from  Port  Townsend 
to  Sitka. 

Soon  we  were  safely  at  anchor  near  Wrangel 
Island.  Fort  Wrangel  was  on  one  end  of  the 
island  and  was  occupied  by  a  small  detachment  of 
troops,  hardly  a  platoon,  under  command  of  Lieu 
tenant  John  A.  Lundeen  of  the  Fourth  Artillery. 


304  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

He  had  with  him  Lieutenant  Macomb  as  his  second 
in  authority.  Buildings  sufficient  for  the  detach 
ment  were  protected  by  an  old-fashioned  stockade. 
The  garrison  being  small,  Lundeen  occupied  only 
a  part  of  the  stockade  enclosure.  He  reported 
successful  attempts  by  unprincipled  white  men  of 
the  neighborhood  to  manufacture  strong  drink, 
which  was  sold  to  both  Indians  and  whites,  and  the 
lieutenant  was  annoyed  because  he  did  not  have 
quick  rowboats  to  reach  the  liquor  stills  and  de 
stroy  them.  I  authorized  him  to  hire  a  canoe  for 
this  purpose. 

As  soon  as  my  inspection  was  over,  the  Indians 
from  "the  ranches,"  the  name  given  to  the  long 
rows  of  houses  built  and  occupied  by  them,  came 
with  extremely  dejected  countenances  to  have  an 
interview  with  me.  Fortunately,  our  interpreter, 
Alexander  Choquette,  spoke  English  well  and  the 
Stickeen  or  Thlinket  tongue  with  equal  facility. 
The  complaint  laid  before  me  was  that  white  men 
had  some  time  before  taken  away  their  favorite 
chief  Fernandeste  by  force;  that  our  people  (some 
accursed  liquor  dealers  who  were  prisoners  with 
him  on  the  steamer  California)  had  so  frightened 
Fernandeste  as  to  excite  his  apprehension  of  the 
consequences  of  his  detention  and  journey  to  Port 
land,  so  that  in  extreme  terror  he  had  taken  his 
own  life ;  that  his  immediate  relatives  were  worried 
and  goaded  almost  to  madness  by  the  sneers  and 
gibes  of  other  Indians,  who  called  them  cowards 
because  they  did  not  seek  revenge  or  obtain  a  settle 
ment.  I  learned  that  under  the  influence  of  this 
passion,  increased  and  stimulated  by  strong  drink, 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  305 

these  same  relatives  had  made  more  than  one  at 
tempt  to  kill  a  white  man.  The  Indians  had  re 
ceived  a  letter  from  me,  as  department  commander, 
which  contained  a  promise  to  provide  for  a  com 
plete  "settlement,"  and  relying  on  this  promise 
they  were  patiently  awaiting  my  coming. 

Now  that  I  had  come  the  Indians  felt  certain 
that  I  would  soon  make  everything  all  right.  They 
went  on  to  make  several  urgent  propositions,  but 
finally  settled  upon  the  condition  of  a  potlatch, 
which  was  to  consist  of  one  hundred  blankets  and 
the  dead  body  of  Fernandeste.  Luckily  I  had  been 
amply  forewarned  and  so  had  brought  the  body  of 
Fernandeste  with  us  (it  having  been  disinterred 
at  Astoria  and  put  on  board  the  California}.  I 
had  also  obtained  the  formal  permission  of  the 
Secretary  of  War  at  Washington  to  make  the  issue 
of  the  necessary  blankets.  Thus  prepared,  I  gra 
ciously  yielded  to  the  Indians'  fervent  entreaty  and 
gave  them  evidence  of  the  blankets  intended  for 
them  and  of  the  body  which  we  had  brought. 

By  the  end  of  our  first  interview  the  appear 
ance  of  these  Stickeen  Indians  had  wholly  changed. 
That  night  they  gave  a  characteristic  dance  of  sat 
isfaction,  participated  in  only  by  the  men  and 
lasting  for  hours,  in  which  they  depicted,  in  rude 
pantomime,  the  departure  of  Fernandeste  on  the 
steamer,  his  suicide,  and  the  return  of  his  body; 
they  also  portrayed  our  visit  and  the  satisfactory 
settlement  which  I  had  just  promised. 

These  Indians  had  heard  about  our  schools,  and 
their  children  had  been  taught  to  some  extent  by 
members  of  officers'  families,  who  had  been  pre- 


306  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

viously  stationed  at  Wrangel.  They  begged  for  a 
teacher,  such  as  they  had  heard  of  at  Fort  Simpson 
and  at  Metlakahtla.  Their  houses  were  surpris 
ingly  good.  They  were  constructed  of  thick  slabs, 
sometimes  very  long  and  broad,  with  a  large  door 
in  the  middle.  The  roof  had  a  broad  opening  at 
the  center,  under  which  was  a  portion  of  ground 
enclosed  by  logs  partly  sunk  in  the  earth,  used  as 
a  fireplace  and  for  cooking.  All  around  the  inside 
of  the  best  houses  was  a  banquette  conveniently 
high  and  well  built.  It  served  for  sleeping  places 
and  for  such  bedding  and  clothing  as  they  might 
have.  Many  of  the  Indian  women  wore  their  hair 
in  a  natural  way,  cut  off  just  below  the  neck  and 
parted  in  the  middle,  but  they  painted  their  faces 
with  something  that  looked  very  much  like  lamp 
black. 

The  totem  poles  interested  me  very  much. 
Some  of  the  carvings  of  different  animals  on  the 
posts  and  at  the  top  of  the  totem  staffs  were  so  well 
executed  as  plainly  to  indicate  a  bird,  a  bear 
or  some  other  animal.  The  totem  pole  may  have 
carved  upon  it  the  tribal  emblem,  or  the  personal 
history  of  a  chief  and  the  names  of  distinction 
given  him  are  indicated  by  its  curious  devices. 

From  Wrangel  we  journeyed  northward  in  the 
night  and  reached  anchorage  near  Sitka  Thursday 
evening  the  10th  of  June.  An  old  friend  and  com 
rade  of  mine,  Major  J.  B.  Campbell,  was  not  only 
commander  of  the  troops,  but  the  Indian  agent  for 
the  territory.  I  went  ashore  so  as  to  make  my 
military  inspection  early  Friday  morning.  Hav 
ing  been  troubled  for  some  time  by  numerous  news- 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  307 

paper  charges  against  the  major 's  management  of 
affairs  at  Sitka,  I  gave  those  who  called  themselves 
citizens,  comprising  Russians,  Aleuts,  half-breeds, 
foreign  traders,  and  Americans  proper  residing  in 
the  town,  an  opportunity  to  meet  me,  as  they  de 
sired,  separate  from  the  officers  of  the  garrison. 
We  met  at  the  house  of  the  United  States  collector, 
who  kindly  briefed  the  complaints  for  me.  These 
I  carefully  considered  and  acted  upon  as  far  as 
possible.  The  complaints  did  not  prove  to  be  of 
great  importance.  I  remedied  the  real  ills  by  hav 
ing  Major  Campbell  introduce  a  little  home-rule 
and  a  few  police  regulations.  He  established  a 
general  hospital  and  raised  sufficient  revenue 
to  meet  necessities.  One  of  his  most  humane 
officers  acted  in  the  capacity  of  a  police  judge. 
Major  Campbell  could  under  the  law  do  those 
things  with  the  powers  vested  in  him  as  Indian 
agent. 

During  the  afternoon  of  Sunday,  June  13th,  I 
met  the  Indians  who  lived  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Sitka  and  had  a  long  interview  with  the  chiefs  who 
were  present,  and  with  their  people.  The  famous 
"  Sitka  Jack'1'  was  absent.  He  had  gone  away 
with  his  long  canoe  filled  with  men  using  the  pad 
dle,  while  he,  having  hoisted  his  flag,  sat  in  the 
stern  and  steered  the  craft.  I  was  sorry  not  to  see 
him,  as  he  controlled  at  that  time  over  one-half  of 
the  Indian  households.  In  each  house  there  was 
one  family  and  some  branches,  often  numbering 
twenty  or  thirty  people. 

Anahootz  was  the  chief  who  governed  the  other 
households ;  this  time  he  spoke  for  all  the  Indians. 


308  MY  LITE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

He  first  came  to  me  in  a  dignified  way  and  sub 
mitted  the  numerous  and  fairly  well  preserved 
recommendations  which  he  had  received  from 
prominent  officials,  both  Russian  and  American. 
He  told  his  story  and  concluded  by  saying:  "  My 
people  are  just  beginning  to  arrive  at  wiiat  I  have 
long  desired — amity  with  the  whites  and  with  each 
other  under  the  protection  of  a  good  commander. 
I  have  had  many  battles  to  secure  this  and  my 
people  are  just  beginning  to  see  that  I  was  right." 

After  his  speech  I  spoke  to  him  of  the  advan 
tages  of  education  for  the  children,  and  told  him 
that  was  the  best  means  of  bringing  about  a  mutual 
understanding  and  of  acquiring  knowledge  of  the 
white  man's  ways,  and  advised  him  to  lay  this 
subject  before  his  people.  Anahootz  heartily  ap 
proved  of  my  suggestion  and  said :  "I  have  spent 
sleepless  nights  thinking  for  the  interest  of  my 
people.  I  want  a  good  teacher ;  I  will  build  him  a 
schoolhouse.  A  teacher  once  came,  but  he  did  not 
stay." 

In  reply  to  Anahootz  I  tried  to  address  all  the 
Indians,  urging  education  and  industry  and  con 
stant  cooperation  with  their  good  chief.  There  was 
a  universal  response,  hearty  and  happy,  to  my 
suggestions. 

The  Indians  at  Sitka  showed  many  evidences 
of  extreme  poverty,  and  some  of  vicious  indul 
gence,  but  the  desire  for  a  good  teacher  was 
universal.  I  presented  this  desire,  not  only  from 
Sitka  but  from  Wrangel,  to  the  different  societies 
in  the  missionary  field,  but  for  a  time  without  re 
sult.  At  last,  under  the  pleadings  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  309 

Lindsley  of  Portland,  Oregon,  the  Presbyterians 
added  that  part  of  Alaska  to  their  mission  field, 
and  great  results  have  followed  their  efforts.  I 
may  here  add  that  the  widow  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Mc- 
Farland,  whom  it  will  be  remembered  my  son,  Guy 
Howard,*  so  tenderly  nursed  wrhen  ill  and  brought 
in  safety  to  Old  Camp  Grant,  was  the  first  mis 
sionary  at  Fort  Wrangel.  Her  sucesses  there  and 
at  Sitka  was  phenomenal. 

*  General  Howard's  son,  Colonel  Guy  Howard,  entered  the  service  in 
187G,  as  a  Lieutenant  of  Infantry.  He  was  long  a  Captain  in  the 
Quartermaster's  Department,  and  became  Corps  Quartermaster  with 
the  volunteer  rank  of  Colonel  during  the  Spanish  War.  He  was  sent 
to  the  Philippines,  there  became  General  Lawton's  Chief -Quartermaster, 
and  fell  in  action  on  the  Steamer  Occanica,  October  22,  1899,  while 
hauling  barges  of  supplies  to  General  Lawton.  Colonel  Howard,  when 
mortally  wounded,  sprang  to  his  feet  and  cried  to  his  men,  "  Whatever 
happens  to  me  keep  the  launch  going." 


19 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

OUR  JOURNEY  TO  ALASKA  CONTINUED  — A  VISIT  TO  THE 

CHILCATS,  THE  SUMDUMS,  AND  OTHER 

PACIFIC  COAST  TRIBES. 

Pacific  Coast  Indians  —  Their  Domestic  Life  —  A  Patient  Indian  Suf 
ferer  —  A  Contrary  Old  Woman  —  "  Sitka  Jack  "  —  Among  the 
Chilcats  —  A  Faithful  Watcher  —  Home  of  the  Sumdums  —  Ice 
bergs.  Glaciers,  and  Picturesque  Scenery  —  Celebrating  the  Battle 
of  Bunker  Hill  —  Describing  the  Battlefield  of  Gettysburg  —  Home 
ward  Bound  —  A  Methodist  Missionary's  Home  —  Religious  Service 
in  an  Indian  Village  —  How  it  was  Conducted  —  Publishing  Mar 
riage  Banns  —  Extraordinary  Changes  in  Indian  Life  —  A  Skeptical 
Officer  —  Ascending  the  Columbia  River  —  Arrival  at  Portland. 

WHILE  the  court-martial  was  performing- 
its  duties  at  Sitka  I  visited  different 
islands  and  promontories  in  the  vicinity, 
including  timber  lands  where  the  Alaska  cedar 
grows  in  great  abundance,  and  mines  wrhich  were 
more  or  less  productive.  We  proceeded  northward 
as  far  as  we  could  in  the  five  days  that  wrere  left 
to  us  before  the  California  wrould  have  to  return  to 
Oregon. 

We  stopped  at  Koutznous  Bay,  where  we  found 
a  band  of  Coast  Indians  of  that  name.  They  were 
peaceably  disposed,  and  watched  us  curiously 
while  we  rowed  a  small  boat  around  a  point  and 
went  on  some  four  miles  to  the  north  of  our  anchor 
age.  We  had  run  along  by  Admiralty  Island. 

In  a  pleasant  little  nook  we  came  upon  their 
village.  The  ground  was  IOWT  and  fertile ;  potatoes 
were  planted  in  high  rows  like  celery  in  eastern 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  311 

gardens,  and  there  were  growing  crops  of  turnips, 
cabbages,  beets,  and  parsnips.  The  Indians  seemed 
to  be  happy,  living  substantially  in  the  same  sort 
of  houses  as  those  at  Wrangel,  with  a  pitched  roof, 
quite  broad  and  rather  flat,  and  one  door  under  the 
gable  just  big  enough  to  crawl  through.  One  had 
to  ascend  a  few  steps  to  enter  it.  The  frame  was 
made  of  very  large  beams  and  the  planks  were  of 
great  size.  I  measured  single  planks  four  feet 
broad,  six  inches  thick,  and  sixty  feet  long.  The 
houses  were  fifty  or  sixty  feet  broad  and  often 
eighty  feet  in  length. 

In  the  best  of  the  houses  was  a  paved  square  for 
the  fire  directly  under  the  opening  in  the  roof; 
around  this  square  the  banquette  was  terminated 
inward  by  a  handsome  single  plank  three  feet  wide 
standing  on  edge.  This  plank  was  sometimes 
carved  and  colored,  as  were  those  on  the  inside  of 
their  canoes.  Skins  and  furs  of  different  kinds 
were  thrown  upon  or  against  the  banquette.  Over 
the  fire  were  pots,  kettles,  and  horizontal  poles  on 
which  salmon  were  drying  and  smoking.  Here 
also  were  square  waterproof  casks  for  fish  oil,  and 
well-made  watertight  trunks  used  by  the  Indians 
in  their  canoes  on  long  voyages, 

In  one  house  we  found  an  old  Indian  of  com 
manding  appearance,  who  had  a  finely-shaped 
head  and  high  forehead.  He  had  been  wounded  in 
the  leg  in  an  Indian  skirmish  years  before  and  the 
wound  had  never  healed.  His  leg  was  kept  straight 
by  props,  his  knee  was  swollen  to  three  times  its 
natural  size,  and  his  uncut  toenails  had  grown  long 
and  pointed.  His  sufferings  must  have  been  in- 


312  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

tense,  but  he  made  no  complaint.  Oh,  the  infinite 
patience  of  that  poor  fellow !  His  wife  seemed  ill 
and  was  moaning  with  pain  as  she  sat  at  the  door 
way. 

The  Koutznous  complained  of  a  settler  by  the 
name  of  Sullivan,  and  his  partner,  who  ran  a  small 
schooner  into  the  bay  with  liquor  for  the  Indians 
of  their  village.  They  said  they  did  not  want  them 
there.  One  old  woman,  however,  took  the  liquor- 
sellers'  part  and  scolded  the  other  Indians  vehe 
mently  for  telling  about  them.  Among  settlers  may 
be  found  crafty  traders  who  understand  the  game 
of  getting  Indians  partly  drunk  before  they  buy 
their  furs  and  oils;  after  that  they  get  all  they 
want  at  their  own  price. 

Continuing  our  journey  we  anchored  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Chilcat  River.  The  strong  cold  wind 
was  furiously  lashing  white-capped  waves  and 
everything  was  bleak  and  dreary.  As  our  anchor 
fell  a  number  of  Chilcat  Indians  paddled  about  the 
steamer.  They  were  noticeably  thin,  but  tough  and 
hardy,  not  so  well  clad  as  those  at  Sitka,  but  in 
language,  size,  and  features  much  like  them.  Here 
I  was  glad  to  find  "  Sitka  Jack"  with  his  long 
canoe,  thoroughly  equipped  with  paddles  and 
manned  with  expert  paddlers.  At  this  time  he 
carried  a  handsome  United  States  flag  in  the  stern 
of  his  boat  and  came  up  to  us  in  grand  style.  As 
he  clambered  on  the  deck  of  the  California  he  was 
welcomed  like  a  prince.  We  descended  into  a  row- 
boat  and  Sitka  Jack  was  delighted  to  pilot  us  to  a 
small  Indian  village  located  under  the  shelter  of  a 
high  mountain  four  miles  up  the  Chilcat  Eiver. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  313 

All  their  buildings,  totem-poles,  and  customs  were 
like  those  of  the  other  Indians  we  had  visited. 

Here  we  found  an  enormous  meteorolite  and 
tried  to  purchase  it  for  the  Smithsonian  Institu 
tion,  but  some  bold  prospector  then  on  a  voyage  up 
the  Chilcat  had  engaged  it,  and  the  Indians,  faith 
ful  to  their  promise,  were  determined  to  keep  it 
for  him. 

After  leaving  the  mouth  of  the  Chilcat  the  Cali 
fornia  turned  eastward,  and  at  four  in  the  morn 
ing  we  were  in  plain  sight  of  another  Indian  town. 
Choquette  and  I,  with  a  boat's  crew,  here  left  the 
steamer  and  rowed  along  a  rough  and  wooded  shore 
toward  the  town.  Suddenly  a  small  dog  appeared 
barking  and  moaning  piteously.  From  this  cir 
cumstance  I  feared  that  the  Indians  had  left  the 
village,  but  on  going  ashore  we  found  the  poor 
animal  in  a  starving  condition,  but  faithfully 
watching  a  cache  at  the  edge  of  a  wood. 

When  we  were  again  on  board,  the  steamer 
headed  toward  the  Tacon  River  and  reached  its 
mouth  in  a  few  hours.  Here  was  a  village  occupied 
by  the  Tacon  Indians,  who  were  kind  and  hospi 
table  and  did  not  differ  from  the  Koutznous  in 
any  material  respect.  A  very  old  man,  blind 
and  feeble  with  age,  was  being  tenderly  cared  for 
by  his  children  and  grandchildren,  and  I  learned 
that  it  was  the  custom  with  the  Tacons  to  care  for 
the  aged  and  helpless.  This  trait  is  seldom  found 
among  Indians. 

Just  after  noon,  as  we  were  approaching  an 
island  inhabited  by  the  Sumdum  Indians,  we  en 
countered  some  large  icebergs,  and  also  caught 


314  MY  LTFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

sight  of  some  remarkable  glaciers  working  their 
slow  way  between  the  hills  toward  the  strait.  One 
glacier  extended  from  the  top  of  a  mountain,  two 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  high,  along  a  gentle  slope 
for  miles.  It  was  about  three  hundred  yards 
broad,  but  was  narrower  near  the  base.  It  was 
near  this  glacier  that  we  found  the  home  of  the 
Sumdums.  A  young  chief  named  Foust  Chou 
met  our  boat  at  a  halfway  island.  He  wras  greatly 
pleased  because  I  showed  so  much  confidence  in 
him  as  to  get  into  his  canoe  and  have  his  people 
paddle  me  back  to  the  steamer,  beating  the  steam 
er's  boat  by  many  lengths. 

After  a  formal  interview  he  asked  me  for  "  a 
paper  "  for  himself  and  for  the  old  chief  "  Harte- 
shawk,"  whom  he  had  left  at  the  village.  On  Cho- 
quette's  recommendation  I  acceded  to  his  request. 
Choquette,  in  his  own  tongue,  read  to  him  the  con 
tents  of  my  paper,  which  briefly  stated  that  I  had 
met  him ;  that  I  was  strongly  opposed  to  the  liquor 
trade  of  the  settlers  with  his  people ;  that  I  hoped 
they  would  some  time  have  a  good  teacher  and  keep 
abreast  of  other  Indians  in  knowledge  and  in  good 
behavior,  and  so  on.  Such  papers  strongly  influ 
ence  not  only  the  chief  who  holds  them,  but  all 
who,  through  frequent  talks,  become  familiar  with 
their  contents. 

Two  hours  before  the  sun  touched  the  horizon, 
where  it  skimmed  along  for  a  considerable  time, 
we  found  ourselves  in  Prince  Frederick's  Sound. 
I  estimated  that  it  was  twenty  miles  wide.  It  was 
calm  and  smooth  as  a  mill-pond,  with  shores  of 
irregular  outline,  and  mountains  of  different 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  315 

shapes  rising  in  the  distance  like  ghosts.  The  gla 
ciers  in  the  dimness  of  the  evening  light  looked  like 
the  mists  of  Niagara,  while  the  islands  and  nearer 
shores  were  as  clearly  defined  below  as  above  the 
water's  surface. 

The  steamer  moved  almost  noiselessly  toward 
Prevontet  Island,  whose  distance  proved  to  be  four 
times  greater  than  it  had  seemed.  The  whole  scene 
was  indescribably  grand  and  beautiful.  Captain 
Hayes,  who  commanded  the  steamer,  had  come 
from  Massachusetts  in  his  youth,  and,  remember 
ing  that  it  was  the  anniversary  of  the  battle  of 
Bunker  Hill,  loaded  his  small  cannon,  putting  in 
as  large  a  charge  as  he  dared,  and  fired  it,  while 
two  of  his  men  dipped  the  flag. 

We  had  with  us  five  of  our  children,  the  young 
est  being  but  four  years  old.  Daylight  continued 
so  long  that  it  was  difficult  to  get  the  children  into 
their  berths  at  a  reasonable  hour.  That  evening 
from  nine  to  ten  I  marked  the  outlines  of  the  battle 
field  of  Gettysburg  on  an  improvised  blackboard 
which  was  hung  against  the  mast  of  the  steamer, 
and  described  the  battle  to  the  people  assembled  on 
deck.  The  outlines  in  red  chalk  were  clear  enough 
to  be  distinctly  seen  when  I  finished  my  descrip 
tion.  In  fact,  there  was  scarcely  one  hour  from 
the  end  of  twilight  to  dawn  of  the  next  day. 

We  soon  entered  a  snug  little  bay  called  Saga- 
naw.  The  Cakes,  a  band  of  Indians  living  near 
the  shore,  had,  previous  to  my  coming,  undertaken 
to  revenge  themselves  for  the  loss  of  several  of 
their  tribe  at  the  hands  of  certain  white  men.  How 
far  they  had  succeeded  in  carrying  out  their  plans 


316  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

of  revenge  I  do  not  know,  but  one  of  our  gunboats 
had  visited  the  bay  and  "  the  avengers  "  had  been 
demanded  of  the  tribe.  They  not  being  delivered 
up  the  gunboat  opened  fire  upon  the  village,  com 
pletely  destroying  it.  After  that,  either  from 
timidity  or  suppressed  hostility,  the  Cakes  had  up 
to  the  time  of  my  visit  kept  aloof  from  the  whites. 
Such  was  the  story  told  me  by  Choquette. 

As  soon  as  we  were  at  anchor  a  Sitka  Indian 
and  a  child  appeared  in  a  canoe.  By  this  man  I 
sent  for  the  chief  of  the  Cakes,  who  soon  appeared, 
coming  toward  us  slowly,  and  with  apparent  re 
luctance  came  on  board  the  steamer.  After  get 
ting  a  little  acquainted  he  gave  me  some  reasons 
why  he  had  not  visited  Major  Campbell  at  Sitka. 
He  had  been  warned  by  a  Sitka  woman  not  to  do 
so,  fearing  we  were  against  him  still  and  that  he 
would  not  be  kindly  treated.  He  declared  that  the 
next  time  he  visited  Sitka  he  would  report  directly 
to  the  commanding  officer.  This  chief,  a  very 
young  but  dignified  man,  was  well  dressed  and 
showed  good  sense  in  all  he  said. 

We  \vere  now  obliged  to  turn  southward  and 
homeward.  I  had  visited  many  tribes  of  Indians 
from  Wrangel  to  the  mouth  of  the  Chilcat  River 
and  found  them  much  the  same,  usually  well  fed 
and  kindly  disposed,  but  prone  to  believe  the  abun 
dant  superstitions  of  Indians,  and  still  depraved, 
most  of  them,  by  the  grosser  vices  of  savage  life. 

Quite  a  contrast  to  all  this  was  presented  at 
Fort  Simpson,  British  Columbia,  and  a  more 
marked  one  at  Metlakahtla,  eighteen  miles  south 
of  that  place.  We  touched  at  Simpson  on  Sunday, 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  317 

June  20th,  very  early  in  the  morning.  After 
breakfasting  on  board  the  steamer,  officers,  ladies, 
and  children  went  on  shore.  We  passed  by  nu 
merous  Indian  houses  built  like  all  the  others  on 
the  coast,  but  with  a  little  more  care  in  their  con 
struction.  Many  had  in  them  two  small  glass  win 
dows.  The  fort,  which  once  had  contained  an  old 
Hudson  Bay  garrison,  consisted  of  a  single  dwell 
ing-house  and  several  storehouses  built  inside  of 
a  high  stockade. 

Mr.  Morrison,  the  Hudson  Bay  agent,  who  had 
been  there  many  years,  looked  like  a  thorough 
British  seaman.  He  had  married  an  Indian 
woman.  He  gave  us  a  very  cordial  welcome  to  the 
fort,  and  showed  us  the  way  to  the  temporary  home 
of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Crosby,  a  minister  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  who  had  come  up  from  Victoria.  His  little 
house  was  newly  finished,  and  close  by  was  his 
church,  which  was  then  in  process  of  construction. 
He  told  us  he  had  been  at  Fort  Simpson  only  eleven 
months,  and  that  he  had  been  much  helped  by  the 
good  influence  of  those  Indians  who  had  come  to 
him  from  the  Episcopal  Mission  at  Metlakahtla. 
Having  been  introduced  to  his  family  we  tarried  a 
short  time  and  then  proceeded  to  the  Indian  vil 
lage  to  attend  a  religious  service  which  was  to  take 
place  in  one  of  the  largest  Indian  houses. 

Soon  after  we  left  the  parsonage  a  great  bell 
rang,  when  instantly  not  less  than  five  hundred 
Indians,  well  dressed,  some  with  shoes  and  some 
without,  many  women  carrying  babies,  old  men 
and  young  men,  boys  and  girls,  came  flocking  from 
all  directions,  obedient  to  the  summons.  They  had 


318  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

quietly  remained  in  their  homes  until  they  heard 
the  sound  of  the  bell.  We  joined  the  throng,  and 
going  into  the  Indian  house  found  seats  ready  for 
us  near  the  desk.  Mr.  Crosby  had  not  arrived. 
After  I  had  sat  down  and  while  waiting  for  Mr. 
Crosby  I  said  to  the  teacher : 

"  Shall  we  sing  a  hymn?  " 

"  Oh,  no,  sir;  we  do  not  sing  till  Mr.  Crosby 
comes,7'  he  answered. 

When  the  second  bell  sounded  Mr.  Crosby  came, 
his  young  wife  following  with  her  little  baby  named 
"  A-he-shime,"  which  is  the  Indian  word  for  "  Sun 
beam."  Mrs.  Crosby  was  glad  enough  to  meet 
Mrs.  Howard  and  Mrs.  Wilkinson.  She  said  at 
once  that  she  had  not  seen  a  white  woman  for 
eleven  months. 

The  Indians  quickly  filled  the  house  and  the 
few  benches  reserved  for  them  were  soon  occupied, 
but  the  majority  sat  upon  the  floor,  with  their 
heads  raised  in  an  attentive  and  expectant  atti 
tude.  One  could  hardly  find  a  better  behaved  con 
gregation.  Mr.  Crosby  read  the  Scriptures  and  an 
Indian  woman  interpreted  them  sentence  by  sen 
tence  ;  then  all  joined  in  a  hymn.  It  was  a  strange 
and  plaintive  sound  that  arose  from  that  assembly. 
Mr.  Crosby  took  as  his  text:  "  Dost  thou  believe 
in  Jesus,  the  Son  of  God?  "  As  he  preached,  the 
same  young  Indian  woman  stood  at  his  elbow  and 
translated  his  speech  into  the  Indian  tongue,  and 
it  seemed  as  if  no  one  in  that  house  missed  any 
part  of  the  sermon,  except  perhaps  when  the  faint 
cry  of  a  little  child  was  heard. 

On  this  occasion  the  minister  published  the 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  319 

banns  of  matrimony  between  two  Indian  people, 
and,  as  this  was  the  second  publication,  the  wed 
ding  would  soon  follow.  It  reminded  me  of  the 
same  custom  in  my  native  town,  where,  in  my 
childhoood,  I  had  seen  the  town  clerk  stand  in  the 
gallery  and  read  aloud  for  two  Sundays  in  suc 
cession  the  intention  of  two  young  people  to  wed. 

The  Simpson  mission  had  been  in  operation 
less  than  a  year.  The  origin  of  it  is  worth  record 
ing.  Some  young  Indians  had  gone  down  on  a 
steamer  to  Victoria  for  a  frolic,  and  ran  the  risk, 
as  many  others  have  done,  of  falling  into  bad  com 
pany,  and  subsequently-  leading  a  sinful  life ;  but 
certain  Methodist  Christians  met  them  and,  as  Mr. 
Crosby  said,  "they  were  soundly  converted  to 
God."  Among  those  who  found  the  new  experi 
ence  was  the  young  woman  whom  we  saw  acting  as 
an  interpreter  for  the  minister.  Mr.  Crosby  told 
us  that  many  Indians  had  already  become  con 
sistent  Christians,  and  many  more  were  seeking 
the  way  of  salvation. 

As  soon  as  the  more  public  service  was  ended 
a  number  of  young  people,  those  who  could  read  a 
little  and  had  Bibles,  stopped  awhile  to  go  over 
their  lessons  with  the  interpreter.  I  enjoyed  lis 
tening  to  this  performance.  First,  a  word  pro 
nounced  by  her  in  English  was  repeated  by  all  in 
concert,  then  two,  three,  and  four  at  a  time ;  soon 
a  whole  sentence.  Over  and  over  they  repeated  a 
passage  until  it  was  thoroughly  mastered  by  all. 

A  few7  years  ago  the  quarrels  and  fights  among 
these  Indians  were  dreadful,  often  ending  in  blood 
shed  and  death.  They  were  at  one  time  so  savage 


320  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

and  brutal  as  to  eat  a  slain  enemy,  but  quarreling 
had  now  altogether  ceased,  order  and  cleanliness 
prevailed,  and  there  were  no  more  blackened  and 
disfigured  faces.  They  were  very  careful  to  keep 
the  Sabbath.  At  certain  times  in  the  year  they 
went  up  the  Stickeen  River  to  the  mines,  going  all 
the  way  in  canoes.  If  the  Sabbath  intervened  they 
would  tie  up  their  canoes  and  wait  patiently  till 
Monday  morning.  Of  course  they  had  not  at  that 
time  attained  to  a  very  high  Christian  life,  but  vast 
and  rapid  progress  had  been  made  in  the  short 
space  of  eleven  months. 

When  I  first  met  Mr.  Duncan,  the  head  of  the 
Metlakahtla  Mission,  I  was  accompanied  by  an 
officer  who  was  very  skeptical  with  regard  to  the 
truth  of  the  Scriptures.  He  had  heard  of  the 
manner  in  which  Mr.  Duncan  had  brought  a  large 
tribe  of  perhaps  the  worst  Indians  on  the  coast 
from  gross  ignorance  and  superstition  to  a  high 
degree  of  civilization.  After  we  had  shaken  hands 
with  Mr.  Duncan  my  skeptical  friend  said:  "  Mr. 
Duncan,  how  did  you  do  it?  "  - 

Mr.  Duncan  made  prompt  answer,  which  I  have 
never  forgotten.  It  was  this:  "I  first  learned 
their  language,  then  I  put  the  Word  of  God  into 
their  minds,  and  you  now  behold  the  results. ' ' 

We  returned  all  the  way  by  sea,  having  a  safe 
and  pleasant  voyage.  When  wre  were  passing  As 
toria-  we  recalled  the  scenes  at  Wra-ngel  and  the 
poor  Indians  who  were  such  natural  actors  there, 
for  it  was  from  the  Astoria  wharf,  during  the  up 
trip,  that  the  dead  body  of  Chief  Fernandeste  had 
been  taken  on  board. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  STORY  OF  MARCUS  WHITMAN  AND  HIS  LABORS  AMONG 

THE  OREGON  INDIANS  —  THRILLING  ACCOUNT  OF 

HIS  PERILOUS  OVERLAND  JOURNEY. 

The  Story  of  Doctor  Whitman's  Life  —  The  Remarkable  Journey  of 
Four  Flathead  Indians  —  The  Quest  for  "The  White  Man's  Book 
of  Life  "  —  A  Brave  Methodist  Pioneer  —  Open  Hostilities  of  the 
Great  Fur  Companies  —  Starting  on  a  Perilous  Journey  —  His 
Return  and  Marriage  —  Organizing  Another  Expedition  —  Danger 
ous  Journey  for  Brides  —  Toils  and  Privations  of  Frontier  Mission 
ary  Life  —  Circulating  a  "  Bad  Medicine  "  —  Instigating  a  Mas 
sacre —  An  "Indiscreet  Conversation"  —  Whitman's  Remarkable 
Journey  to  Washington  —  Unspeakable  Hardships  —  Mutterings  of 
the  Coming  Storm  —  A  Man  of  God  and  a  True  Patriot. 

IN  a  previous  chapter  I  alluded  to  the  massacre 
of  Marcus  Whitman  and  his  family.    The  scene 
of  his  missionary  labors  and  tragic  death  was 
in  the  country  that  \vas  now  the  theater  of  my 
operations  against  Indians,  and  as  his  noble  life 
and  services  are  worthy  of  more  than  passing  men 
tion  I  will  tell  the  story  here. 

Marcus  Whitman  was  born  in  Rushville,  New 
York,  September  4,  1802.  When  he  was  eight 
years  of  age  he  was  sent  to  Plainfield,  Massachu 
setts,  and  lived  at  the  home  of  his  grandfather 
for  ten  years  that  he  might  receive  such  funda 
mental  education  as  that  to\vn  afforded.  At  eight 
een  he  returned  to  Rushville  and  continued  his 
studies  under  the  direction  of  Rev.  David  Page  for 
two  or  three  years,  afterward  completing  a  course 
in  medicine  at  Fairfield,  New  York,  in  1824.  He 


322  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

soon  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession 
in  Canada,  continuing  there  about  four  years,  when 
he  again  returned  to  Rushville,  and  remained  till 
a  favorable  opening  appeared  at  Wheeler,  New 
York.  Here  the  young  physician  practiced  his 
profession  four  years  more,  until  the  spring  of 
1835,  when  he  received  his  first  call  from  the  Amer 
ican  Board. 

With  regard  to  the  occupation  of  Oregon,  and 
especially  the  rich  valley  watered  by  the  beautiful 
Willamette,  as  missionary  ground,  our  Methodist 
brethren  were  a  little  ahead  of  the  Presbyterian 
and  Congregational  bodies  then  represented  in  the 
American  Board.  In  1834  the  Methodists  sent 
Jason  Lee  and  his  helpers  there  to  establish  a 
mission  among  the  Indians.  That  was  done  in  an 
swer  to  the  report  of  Mr.  Catlin,  in  which  he  told 
the  story  of  the  four  Flatheads  who  journeyed  all 
the  way,  over  two  thousand  miles,  from  Oregon  to 
St.  Louis,  to  find  "  The  White  Man's  Book  of 
Life."  Only  one  of  the  Flatheads  lived  to  return 
to  his  people.  An  American  trapper,  whose  ex 
peditions  had  led  him  to  the  far-off  camps  of  these 
peaceful  Indians,  had  first  told  them  of  the  won 
derful  book  and  something  of  its  teachings.  The 
story  was  published  in  a  New  York  Methodist 
journal  in  March,  1832,  and  in  the  editorial  com 
ment  was  the  thrilling  call:  "  Who  will  respond 
to  go  beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  carry  the 
Book  of  Heaven?" 

The  Willamette  Valley  was  not  hard  to  reach 
by  way  of  the  Columbia  River,  because  Astoria  at 
its  mouth,  and  Fort  Vancouver  but  six  miles  from 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  323 

the  nearest  point  of  the  Willamette  Valley,  were 
then  securely  held  by  the  American  Fur  Company 
and  the  Hudson  Bay  Company.  Jason  Lee,  that 
Methodist  pioneer  "  of  strong  nerve  and  indom 
itable  will, ' '  with  a  tender,  loving  heart,  was  in  that 
valley,  and  all  around  him  were  Indians,  and  num 
bers  of  white  voyageurs  who  had  already  to  some 
extent  demoralized  them. 

A  missionary  to  the  Sandwich  Islands  had  once 
visited  the  northwestern  coast  and  the  Columbia 
Valley,  either  in  going  to  or  coming  from  his  dis 
tant  station,  and  had  reported  the  evil  ways  and 
teachings  of  many  of  the  fur  traders,  and  had  con 
vinced  the  secretaries  of  the  American  Board  that 
American  missionaries  would  not  be  welcome  in 
Oregon  Territory.  The  Northwest  was  all  Oregon 
then. 

The  need  of  missionary  work  among  the  In 
dians  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  fur  traders'  hos 
tility  on  the  other,  caused  the  American  Board 
first  to  hesitate,  then  at  last  to  make  a  tentative 
effort.  Early  in  1835  they  decided  to  send  the  Rev. 
Samuel  Parker  of  Ithaca,  New  York,  a  highly- 
educated  man  of  powrer  and  purpose,  to  explore 
that  country,  and  report  upon  the  practicability  of 
establishing  a  mission  there.  The  enterprising 
young  physician,  Dr.  Marcus  Whitman,  was  chosen 
to  accompany  Mr.  Parker  on  this  expedition.  One 
who  knew  the  young  man  well  has  furnished  a 
sketch  of  his  character,  which  is  photographic  in 
its  details.  He  said:  "  He  was  a  man  of  easy 
don't-care  habits,  that  could  become  all  things  to 
all  men,  and  yet  a  sincere  and  earnest  man,  speak- 


324  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

ing  his  mind  before  he  thought  the  second  time, 
giving  his  views  without  much  consideration,  but 
correcting  them  when  good  reasons  were  presented 
for  a  change ;  yet  when  fixed  in  the  pursuit  of  an 
object  he  adhered  to  it  with  unflinching  tenacity." 

He  further  describes  him  as  generous  in  the 
extreme,  kind  and  self-denying,  giving  his  whole 
mind  and  thought  to  the  accomplishment  of  the 
work  in  hand;  a  character  without  excessive  ap 
prehension  of  danger,  animated  in  conversation, 
earnest  in  argument,  and  of  indomitable  energy. 
As  a  physician  he  was  successful. 

Parker  and  Whitman  set  out  together  and  had 
accomplished  more  than  half  their  perilous  journey 
when,  at  a  halting  place  near  a  trader's  post  called 
Fort  Independence,  at  Green  Eiver  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  a  serious  difference  arose  between 
them,  which  has  never  been  satisfactorily  ex 
plained.  Dr.  Whitman's  ability  to  "  rough  it,"  as 
the  soldiers  say,  was  marvelous,  and  Parker  was 
feeble  in  that  regard.  Opposite  opinions  sup 
ported  by  various  reasons  were  asserted  and  ob 
stinately  adhered  to. 

It  is  evident  that  their  tastes,  habits,  and  daily 
life  were  different,  and  that  neither  could  adjust 
himself  to  the  ideas  of  the  other.  At  Green  River 
these  two  men  of  God,  in  some  vexation  and  per 
plexity,  were  considering  these  untoward  things, 
when  a  Nez  Perce  Indian  chief,  with  his  hunters, 
fortunately  appeared.  He  agreed  to  safely  guide 
Parker  over  the  long  trails  to  Fort  Walla  Walla, 
and  did  so  with  much  display  of  savage  pomp  and 
with  but  small  discomfort  to  his  guest.  He  deliv- 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  325 

ered  him  safe  and  sound  to  the  secretary  of  the 
great  British  fur  company  and  asked  for  no  pay 
ment. 

The  Nez  Perces  did  more :  they  allowed  two  of 
their  boys  to  go,  as  guides,  with  Dr.  Whitman,  he 
having  resolved  to  return  to  the  East  and  report  to 
the  American  Board,  with  the  intention  of  return 
ing  with  means  and  men  to  plant  a  mission,  not  in 
the  Willamette  Valley,  but  in  Oregon  east  of  the 
Coast  range  and  among  the  Nez  Perce  Indians. 

It  is  delightful  to  see  how  easily  Dr.  Whitman 
won  the  hearts  of  the  rough  American  fur  traders, 
and  of  all  the  Indians  that  he  met.  His  own  warm 
heart  and  ready  help  for  body  and  soul  lightened 
the  hardships  of  his  long  homewrard  journey.  He 
reported  in  person  to  the  American  Board,  ob 
tained  the  sanction  of  the  secretaries,  and  soon  was 
preparing  to  return,  greatly  reinforced,  to  plant 
his  important  mission. 

We  have  glimpses  of  Whitman's  dramatic 
homecoming.  On  a  Sabbath  evening  in  November, 
1835,  without  previous  warning,  he  and  his  two 
young  Nez  Perce  guides  marched  down  the  aisle 
of  the  Rushville  church,  startling  his  mother,  who, 
in  spite  of  the  solemnity  of  the  place,  cried  out: 
"Well,  there's  Marcus  Whitman !" 

In  February,  1836,  a  wedding  occurred  at 
Prattsburg,  New  York.  Narcissa  Prentiss,  i '  the 
adored  daughter  of  a  refined  Christian  home,"  the 
sweetest  singer  of  the  village  choir,  greatly  beloved 
by  all  who  knew  her,  there  became  the  wife  of 
Marcus  Whitman.  The  last  h}^mn  she  sang  in  the 
church  before  starting  for  Oregon,  "  Yes,  my  Na- 
20 


326  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

tive  Land,  I  Love  Thee,"  was  sung  in  her  usual 
voice,  "  clear,  musical,  and  unwavering, "  and  pro 
foundly  impressed  a  sympathetic  and  weeping 
congregation  and  seemed  to  emphasize  the  sorrow 
all  felt  at  her  leave-taking. 

Of  this  mission  band  the  principals  were  the 
well-known  missionary  H.  H.  Spalding  and  his 
equally  notable  wife,  then  also  a  bride,  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Whitman,  and  W.  H.  Gray  of  Utica,  New 
York,  who  was  chosen  by  the  American  Board  as 
business  agent,  and  "  solicited  to  join  the  expedi 
tion."  The  two  Nez  Perce  Indian  boys  and  two 
teamsters  made  up  the  little  party.  Three  wagons, 
eight  mules,  twelve  horses,  sixteen  cows,  and  Whit 
man  's  extra  wagon  and  team  completed  the  equip 
ment.  This  vehicle  is  mentioned  in  Gray's  history 
of  the  Whitman  family,  which  states  that  "the 
journey  was  commenced  in  an  old  wagon. ' '  Every 
one  said  it  would  have  to  be  abandoned,  but  the 
irrepressible  energy  of  the  doctor  overcame  all 
obstacles  and  the  practicability  of  crossing  the 
mountains  in  a  wheeled  vehicle  was  established. 
The  fact  gave  much  encouragement  to  those  who 
were  considering  the  possibilities  of  emigration. 
About  the  middle  of  May,  when  they  were  well  on 
their  way,  a  young  English  nobleman,  Captain 
Stewart,  joined  his  wagon  and  outfit  to  theirs. 

Pawnee  Indians  in  Nebraska,  astonished  and 
pleased  to  see  such  women  on  the  western  march, 
escorted  them  part  of  the  way.  The  hardships  of 
that  journey  of  more  than  two  thousand  miles  can 
not  be  told.  But  on  they  went,  overcoming  all  ob 
stacles,  until  in  the  far  West,  after  traveling  for  a 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  327 

month  alone,  they  joined  the  American  Pur  Com 
pany's  caravan,  then  moving  up  the  great  Platte 
Valley.  At  the  place  on  Green  River  where  Parker 
and  Dr.  Whitman  had  parted,  a  wonderful  and 
characteristic  scene  at  first  terrified  and  then 
pleasantly  surprised  them. 

The  Green  River  encampment  was  a  great 
meeting-place  for  all  the  different  fur  companies, 
and  Indians  came  from  every  quarter  to  barter 
their  furs  and  other  goods  for  the  white  man's 
merchandise,  which  often,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  con 
sisted  of  nothing  but  beads,  baubles,  and  useless 
trinkets.  "  Two  days  before  we  arrived  at  our 
rendezvous,"  wrote  the  business  agent,  "  and  some 
two  hours  before  we  reached  camp,  the  whole  cara 
van  was  alarmed  by  the  approach  of  some  mounted 
Indians  and  four  or  five  white  men,  whose  dress 
and  appearance  could  scarcely  be  distinguished 
from  that  of  the  Indians.  As  they  came  in  sight 
over  the  hills,  they  all  gave  a  yell,  such  as  hunters 
and  Indians  only  can  give ;  whiz !  whiz !  came  their 
balls  over  our  heads,  and  on  they  came  in  less  time 
than  it  will  take  to  read  this  account.  The  alarm 
wras  but  for  a  moment ;  our  guide  had  seen  a  white 
cloth  on  one  of  their  guns,  and  said:  "  Don't  be 
alarmed;  they  are  friends,"  and,  sure  enough,  in 
a  moment  here  they  were.  It  was  difficult  to  tell 
which  was  the  most  crazy,  the  horses  or  the  riders; 
such  hopping,  hooting,  running,  yelling,  jumping 
over  sage-brush,  and  whirling  around;  for  they 
could  not  stop  to  reload  their  guns,  but  all  of  us,  as 
they  came  on,  gave  them  a  salute  from  ours,  as  they 
passed  to  the  rear  of  our  line  and  back  again." 


328  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

I  myself  in  later  years  often  had  just  such  ex 
periences  on  the  plains,  and  with  my  companions 
have  suddenly  passed  from  a  state  of  apprehension 
to  that  of  relief  and  satisfaction. 

The  frontier  forts,  especially  in  all  that  long- 
disputed  territory,  in  the  mountains  and  beyond, 
were  not  in  1836  our  military  posts,  but  were  trad 
ing  stations  defended  by  strong  stockades  and  well- 
armed  employees  of  the  fur  company  to  which  they 
belonged.  Our  two  beautiful  brides  appeared  at 
these  posts  like  angels  of  light.  They  awakened 
the  chivalric  spirit  and  gentle  behavior  of  the 
the  roughest  frontiersman  and  of  all  peaceable  In 
dians.  The  2d  of  September  they  arrived  at  Fort 
Walla  Walla,  not  where  the  city  of  Walla  Walla 
and  Whitman  College,  named  for  Marcus  Whit 
man,  now  is,  but  thirty  miles  farther  west:  a 
stockaded  fort  in  charge  of  one  of  the  principal 
agents  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company. 

The  agent  and  employees  of  the  fur  company 
met  the  newcomers  with  every  show  of  courtesy 
and  generous  hospitality.  The  women  were  sent, 
for  a  time,  more  than  a  hundred  miles  down  the 
river,  beyond  the  snow-capped  mountains,  to  enjoy 
the  welcome  and  protection  of  the  chief  of  the  great 
English  monopoly.  Meanwhile  our  missionaries 
reconnoitered  what  was  called  the  Nez  Perce  terri 
tory  from  the  Umatilla  below  them  to  the  Lewis 
and  Clark  forks  of  the  Snake  River.  Along  the 
borders  of  the  great  Columbia,  which  cuts  its  way 
through  a  long  stretch  of  prairie  country  from  the 
Rocky  Mountains  to  the  Coast  Range,  where  it 
bursts  through  seemingly  impassable  barriers  to 


CIRCLING  AROUND  A  WAGON  TRAIN  THAT  HAS  GONE  INTO  CORRAL  FOR  DKFENSE. 


LYING  IN  AMBUSH  WHILE  WATCHING  AN  APPROACHING  WAGON  TRAIN. 
INDIAN    METHOD   OF    ATTACKING   OVERLAND   WAGON   TRAINS. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  331 

find  its  way  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  we  have  on  the 
southern  bank  for  a  hundred  miles  a  broad  belt  of 
barren,  sandy  land.  From  Wallula  eastward,  after 
passing  that  belt,  Dr.  Whitman  examined  and  se 
lected  a  fine  rolling  country  bordering  on  Walla 
Walla  Creek,  which  is  now  known  as  Wailatpu. 
Many  times  have  I  visited  this  spot.  There  are 
trees,  a  rich  valley  of  cleared  land,  and  choice 
knolls  for  buildings,  but  even  now  the  region  has 
but  few  inhabitants. 

Dr.  Whitman  thought  Wailatpu  the  finest  spot 
in  that  region,  and  the  one  best  suited  for  a  mission 
to  the  lower  Nez  Perces.  Besides  a  sprinkling  of 
that  tribe  it  included  three  sub-tribes,  the  Walla 
Wallas,  Cayuses,  and  Umatillas.  It  was  conven 
ient  for  supplies  to  Fort  Walla  Walla,  and  a  fine 
meeting  point  for  all  the  Indian  bands  that  roamed 
between  the  Columbia  River  and  the  Blue  Moun 
tains. 

Dr.  Whitman  did  not  know,  and  no  scientist 
seemed  to  have  then  discovered  the  fact,  that  the 
vast  open  country,  apparently  covered  with  alkali 
deposits,  hills,  knolls,  mounds,  foothills,  and  long 
belts  of  mountain  sides,  had  a  soil  unsurpassed  in 
fertility.  Forty  years  later  I  stood  on  the  Blue 
Mountains  and  beheld  more  than  sixty  square  miles 
of  the  finest  wheat  land,  covered  with  waving  crops, 
that  I  had  ever  seen.  The  soil  was  apparently  so 
dry,  deep,  and  shifting,  and  the  dust  in  the  road 
ways  so  superabundant,  that  it  did  not  occur  to  the 
early  settlers  to  test  anything  beyond  the  narrow 
valleys  of  the  abundant  streams  which  were  finding 
their  way  to  the  Snake  and  the  Columbia. 


332  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Dr.  Whitman  chose  Wailaptu  for  his  home  and 
slowly  built  up  his  mission.  Meanwhile  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Spalding  settled  among  the  Nez  Perces  proper 
amid  the  hills  in  the  beautiful  Lapwai  valley,  more 
than  a  hundred  miles  to  the  northeast. 

For  seven  years  these  good  missionaries,  some 
times  slightly  reinforced,  endured  all  the  toils  and 
privations  of  frontier  life.  They  established 
schools  for  Indian  children  and  extended  their  ac 
quaintance  among  the  various  tribes  round  about 
them.  Dr.  Whitman  himself  was  apparently  much 
beloved  by  the  Indians.  He  visited  and  ministered 
to  them  in  sickness  and  generally  with  success. 
One  scourge,  however,  among  the  Cayuses,  for 
which  they  had  no  remedy,  was  an  attack  of  the 
measles,  which  went  from  lodge  to  lodge  until  the 
whole  tribe  was  in  terror.  Many  deaths  occurred 
in  spite  of  Dr.  Whitman's  faithful  attendance. 

As  it  now  appears,  some  of  the  worst  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company's  employees  took  advan 
tage  of  this  state  of  alarm  and  fanned  into  flame  the 
smoldering  embers  of  superstition  by  impressing 
the  Indians  with  the  idea  that  the  Whitmans,  not 
withstanding  their  devotion  and  apparent  kind 
ness,  were  circulating  a  "  bad  medicine."  There 
was  also  the  old  religious  opposition  to  all  new 
comers  by  the  Roman  Catholic  people,  especially 
the  Jesuit  Fathers,  because  they  themselves  had 
come  to  the  country  and  started  a  mission  of  their 
own;  but  it  must  always  be  remembered  that  the 
Roman  Catholic  could  not  be  a  pronounced  friend 
to  other  denominations,  because  his  fundamental 
religious  principle  was  that  they  were  wrong  in  the 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  333 

faith.  It  does  not  appear  that  Catholic  opposition 
promoted  a  massacre,  but  it  does  appear  that  a  few 
Hudson  Bay  employees  endeavored  to  saddle  upon 
them  the  responsibility  of  stirring  up  the  Indians. 
The  missionaries  found  that  arms,  ammunition, 
and  liquor  were  freely  sold  to  the  savages  by  Brit 
ish  occupants  of  the  territory,  and  against  this 
evil  the  missionaries  exerted  every  possible  in 
fluence. 

One  day  an  "  indiscreet  conversation  "  by  these 
British  employees  was  held  at  Walla  Walla  in  the 
presence  of  Dr.  Whitman,  in  which  new  plans  to 
hold  the  country  against  all  American  commerce 
and  at  all  hazards,  were  made  known  to  him.  This 
was  in  October,  1842.*  Without  waiting  for  per 
mission  from  the  American  Board,  the  impulsive 
Whitman  suddenly  decided  to  brave  the  perils  of 
a  winter  passage  over  the  mountains  in  order  to 
reach  Washington  before  Congress  adjourned. 
That  resolve  was  made  and  he  started  on  his  long 
and  dangerous  journey  only  twenty-four  hours 
after  his  ears  first  heard  the  fur  company's  prema 
turely  triumphant  cry:  "  Hurrah  for  Oregon, 
America  is  too  late !  We  have  the  country ! ' ; 

More  than  once  the  doctor's  winter  party  nearly 
perished  in  the  deep  snows,  but  every  obstacle  was 
overcome  by  his  indomitable  courage  and  fertile 
expedients.  March  3d,  1843,  after  a  five  months' 
journey  in  the  winter  season,  through  hardships 


*  This  conversation  is  denied  by  several  writers,  but  as  I  knew  Dr. 
Gray,  who  wrote  the  "  History  of  Oregon,"  and  have  the  greatest  confi 
dence  in  the  truthfulness  of  Mr.  Spalding,  I  adhere  to  the  belief  that 
my  account  of  what  took  place  at  Walla  Walla  is  correct. 


334  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

unspeakable,  he  reached  Washington.*  To  Daniel 
Webster,  then  Secretary  of  State,  he  told  his  story. 
Webster  discouraged  him,  but,  providentially, 
President  Tyler,  after  hearing  him  through,  said : 
"Your  frozen  limbs  and  leather  breeches  attest 
your  sincerity.  Can  you  take  emigrants  across  the 
mountains  in  wagons?  " 

Here  is  the  glorious  answer  of  a  patriot  who 
had  faith  in  himself  and  faith  in  God :  * i  Give  me 
six  months  and  I  will  take  a  thousand  emigrants 


across. ' 


The  President  replied:  "If  you  take  them 
across,  the  Ashburton  Treaty  (which  would  have 
given  Oregon  to  Great  Britain)  shall  not  be  rati 
fied." 

Now  comes  the  record:  Dr.  Whitman's  party, 
then  about  a  thousand  strong,  in  June,  1843,  gath 
ered  on  the  banks  of  the  Missouri  River  at  the 
small  town  of  Westford,  and  set  out  for  Oregon. 
In  good  time,  and  after  great  trials  which  called 
for  incredible  pluck  and  endurance,  the  party 
safely  arrived  at  Port  Walla  Walla. 

It  is  said  that  the  anger  of  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company  knew  no  bounds,  and  we  can  easily  see 
the  reason.  It  was  a  little  more  than  four  years 
later  that  the  dreadful  storm,  which  had  been 
slowly  gathering  and  darkening  the  skies  between 


*  That  Whitman  did  reach  Washington  is  proven  by  a  recorded  cor 
respondence  with  the  then  Secretary  of  War.  There  is  no  direct  evi 
dence  of  the  doings  of  Webster  or  the  sayings  of  the  President  at  that 
time.  It  is,  however,  the  story  of  the  intimates  of  Whitman  who  were 
with  him  in  Oregon.  What  was  Whitman  in  Washington  for  but  to  carry 
out  his  purpose  of  interesting  the  administration  in  the  populating  of 
Oregon  by  our  people  and  holding  it  for  our  government? 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  335 

the  Cascades  and  the  Eockies,  broke  upon  them. 
The  tragedy  that  followed  is  more  fully  described 
in  the  next  chapter.  November  29,  1847,  Dr.  Mar 
cus  Whitman,  his  wife,  and  seven  others  were 
cruelly  massacred  and  their  home  destroyed,  but 
the  recorder  adds:  "  Whitman's  work  had,  how 
ever,  been  accomplished,  and  the  foul  deed  only 
recoiled  upon  its  instigators. " 

As  I  have  said,  as  soon  as  the  instigators  per 
ceived  their  mistake  and  its  consequences  they 
tried  every  conceivable  plan  to  saddle  the  whole 
blame  Upon  the  missionaries  themselves  and  the 
Cayuse  Indians,  but  the  evidence  of  plotting,  of 
craft,  of  ambition,  of  avarice,  and  of  diabolical 
instigation  is  too  plain  for  the  historians  of  today 
to  relieve  all  of  the  white  men  of  Oregon  who  were 
then  hostile  to  the  American  republic,  and  to  our 
type  of  Christian  work  and  development,  to  escape 
the  scathing  denunciation  which  they  deserve. 
Savages  are  bad  enough,  but  savagery  in  alliance 
with  such  white  generalship  is  incredibly  wicked 
and  cruel. 

I  have  just  seen  a  likeness  of  Dr.  Whitman, 
probably  taken  after  he  had  passed  his  fortieth 
birthday.  It  bespeaks  a  glorious  character— one 
of  nature's  noblemen.  Generous,  hearty,  frank  in 
statement,  thoroughly  educated,  abreast  of  any  in 
his  profession,  he  devoted  his  life  to  the  service  of 
his  fellow-men,  and  through  them  to  the  service  of 
God.  No  personal  exposure,  no  toil,  no  prolonged 
endurance,  no  opposition  of  men,  not  even  that  of 
the  great  Webster,  then  Secretary  of  State,  could 
abate  Whitman's  patriotic  fervor. 


33G  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

It  should  make  every  lover  of  humanity  happy 
to  see  a  glorious  college,  erected  on  the  banks  of  the 
Walla  Walla,  which  watered  Whitman's  gardens 
and  received  Whitman's  blood  of  sacrifice  and  that 
of  those  so  precious  to  him.  Let  that  college  pros 
per,  and  bless  the  rich  valley  that  his  eye  first  fell 
upon!  I  am  glad  to  know  that  the  fertile  knolls 
and  hillocks  that  so  long  remained  covered  with 
wreeds  and  thistles,  and  that  the  grave  so  long 
surrounded  by  a  decaying  picket  fence,  without 
even  a  headstone  to  mark  the  places  of  burial,  have 
at  last  been  looked  upon  by  patriotic  and  Christian 
eyes,  and  been  cared  for  by  tender  hearts  and 
grateful  patriots. 

Yes,  my  countrymen,  Dr.  Marcus  Whitman,  an 
American  type  of  Christian  manhood,  heroically 
planted  the  first  mission  of  the  American  Board  in 
eastern  Oregon  and  Washington,  for  it  was  his 
energy  that  carried  the  devoted  party  of  mission 
aries  thither  into  that  vast  domain.  His  example 
and  his  work  have  stimulated  every  effort  to  raise 
up  the  lowly  and  to  redeem  the  savage.  More,  still, 
that  one  heroic  man,  seeing  the  imminent  danger 
of  losing  to  our  country  priceless  regions  of  mag 
nificent  domain,  with  a  heroism  never  surpassed  by 
anybody  on  earth,  made  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
journeys  on  record,  with  a  purpose  to  save  to  us 
our  rightful  land. 

So  let  us,  who  can  appreciate  high  achievement, 
give  all  honor  to  the  memory  of  Marcus  Whitman 
-the  man  of  God  and  the  true  patriot ! 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

A  FRONTIER  TRAGEDY  — THE   COLD-BLOODED  MASSACRE   OF 
MARCUS  WHITMAN  AND  HIS  FAMILY. 

Scene  of  the  Brutal  Massacre  —  Unsuspecting  Settlers  Engaged  in  Peace 
ful  Avocations  —  Hovering  and  Watchful  Indians  —  Sudden  Ap 
pearance  of  Indians  at  an  Open  Door  —  Dr.  Whitman  Asked  to 
Come  into  the  Kitchen  —  The  Deadly  Tomahawk  —  Fighting  for 
Life  —  Ghastly  Scenes  —  "Oh,  the  Indians!  the  Indians!"  — 
The  Infamous  Murderer  "  Joe  Lewis  "  —  Death  of  Dr.  Whitman  — 
Heroic  Efforts  of  His  Wife  to  Save  His  Life  —  Discovering  the 
Hidden  Children  —  Dreadful  and  Heartrending  Scenes  —  "  We  Will 
Now  Burn !  "  —  Assassination  of  Mrs.  Whitman  —  Desperate  Strug 
gles  for  Life  —  Escape  of  the  Few  Survivors. 

I  HAVE  frequently  visited  Wailatpu,  the  scene 
of  that  cold-blooded  massacre  of  devoted  Chris 
tian  people.  It  was  past  noon  November  29, 
1847.  Joseph  Stanfield  had  driven  an  ox  from  the 
pasture  to  Wailatpu  and  Francis  Sager  had  killed 
it  for  beef.  Kimball,  Canfield,  and  Hoffman  were 
dressing  the  same  near  the  mission  buildings; 
Sanders  was  in  the  schoolroom  just  beginning  an 
afternoon  session ;  Marsh  was  at  the  mill  grinding ; 
Gillan  sat  on  his  tailor 's  bench  in  the  adobe  ' '  man 
sion  " ;  Hall  was  busy  laying  a  floor  near  Dr.  Whit 
man  's  dwelling ;  Rogers  was  working  in  the  garden ; 
Osborn  and  his  family  were  in  the  Indians'  room, 
next  to  the  doctor's  sitting-room;  young  Sayles 
was  lying  ill  with  the  Canfield  family,  who  resided 
in  the  blacksmith  shop ;  Bewley,  a  young  man,  was 
ill  in  the  doctor's  house;  John  Sager,  convalescent 
from  measles,  was  sitting  in  the  kitchen ;  Dr.  Whit- 


338  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

man,  his  wife,  and  three  sick  children,  and  Mrs. 
Osborn  with  her  sick  children  were  in  the  dining 
or  sitting-room  of  the  Whitman  house.  Such  is 
the  historian's  presentation  of  the  domestic  and 
peaceful  situation  at  Wailatpu  on  that  fatal  day. 

It  is  not  easy  to  give  a  sketch  of  the  buildings. 
Dr.  Whitman's  dwelling  was  an  adobe  structure, 
sixty-two  feet  long  and  eighteen  feet  deep,  with  a 
half  story  above.  The  long  building  faced  west 
and  probably  had  three  doors  opening  that  way. 
In  the  north  end  was  the  large  Indian  room,  in  the 
middle  was  the  sitting  and  dining-room,  and  in  the 
south  end  a  library  on  the  front,  and  behind  it  a 
bedroom.  Behind  the  dining  and  sitting-room, 
probably  one  and  the  same,  was  a  kitchen  of  large 
size,  and  abreast  of  it  was  the  schoolroom.  Due 
east  from  the  Whitman  house  was  the  blacksmith's 
shop,  partly  used  for  a  residence,  and  south  of  the 
kitchen  and  some  little  distance  from  it  was  the 
extensive  building  that  is  named  in  the  accounts  as 
66  The  Mansion."  To  the  south  and  east  and  some 
way  from  the  mansion  was  the  mill.  Near  the  mill, 
on  the  rapid  creek  which  afforded  water  for  all, 
was  a  small  lake  or  pond  made  by  damming  the 
creek.  The  water  from  the  mill  flowed  into  a  ditch, 
which  passed  on  the  north  side  of  all  the  buildings, 
and  furnished  water  for  irrigating  purposes. 

Dr.  Whitman's  house  was  the  most  complete 
structure  yet  finished.  That  day  the  man  whose 
name  we  revere  was  sitting  in  the  midst  of  his 
family  reading  the  Scriptures.  Several  Indians, 
who  had  been  hovering  about  and  watching  the 
killing  and  dressing  of  the  ox,  entered  the  kitchen 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  339 

by  a  door  from  the  outside.  One  of  them  stepped 
to  the  open  door  which  led  to  the  dining-room  and 
requested  the  doctor  to  come  into  the  kitchen.  He 
rose,  and,  carrying  his  Bible  in  his  hand,  went  into 
the  kitchen,  closed  the  door  behind  him,  and  took  a 
seat.  Edward  Sager,  not  feeling  well,  at  once  sat 
down  beside  him  to  take  some  medicine ;  then,  while 
these  two  were  talking,  the  Indian  Tamsaky,  who 
had  some  time  before  promised  to  give  the  bishop 
at  Walla  Walla  the  doctor's  station,  silently  came 
up  behind  him  and  suddenly  drawing  a  tomahawk 
from  under  his  blanket  struck  the  doctor  on  the 
back  of  the  head.  The  first  blow  stunned  him  and 
his  head  fell  forward  upon  his  breast.  A  second 
blow  followed  instantly  upon  the  top  of  his  head 
and  brought  him  senseless,  but  not  yet  lifeless,  to 
the  floor. 

Young  John  Sager  then  sprang  to  his  feet  and 
attempted  to  draw  a  pistol ;  the  Indians  in  front  of 
him  rushed  to  the  outer  door  crying:  "  He  will 
shoot  us!  He  will  shoot  us!  "  but  the  Indians  im 
mediately  behind  him  seized  his  arms,  and,  after  a 
desperate  struggle,  threw  him  upon  the  floor  and 
fired  into  his  body  several  shots  from  Hudson  Bay 
rifles,  hitherto  concealed  under  their  Indian  blan 
kets.  Moreover  his  assassins  gashed  him  with 
knives;  his  throat  was  cut  and  a  woolen  tippet 
thrust  into  it,— still  he  lingered.  Two  of  the  mur 
derers  were  accidently  wounded  by  each  other  in 
the  struggle. 

The  moment  that  Mrs.  Whitman  heard  the 
tumult  in  the  kitchen  she  understood  the  cause. 
She  wrung  her  hands  in  agony,  crying  out:  "  Oh, 


340  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

the  Indians !  the  Indians !  That  Joe  (referring  to 
Joe  Lewis)  has  done  it  all!  r 

To  digress  a  little:  Joe  Lewis  had  but  re 
cently  come  from  the  East,  from  Canada,  with  a 
party  of  priests.  He  afterwards  claimed  to  be  a 
Cherokee.  On  his  way  west,  not  long  before  the 
massacre,  he  told  the  people  at  Fort  Boise  that 
there  was  going  to  be  a  "great  overturn  at  Dr. 
Whitman's,  and  in  the  Willamette."  He  came  to 
Dr.  Whitman's  quite  destitute  and  the  doctor 
showed  him  great  kindness.  Finding  that  Lewis 
was  making  mischief  the  doctor  sent  him  away  with 
some  emigrant  families  as  a  teamster,  giving  him 
a  good  outfit.  He  was  gone  only  three  days  when, 
having  abandoned  the  emigrants,  he  came  back  to 
Waijatpu.  He  spent  most  of  his  time  in  Nicholas 
Finlay's  lodge,  close  to  the  station,  the  resort  of 
Stanfield  and  of  the  Indians  engaged  in  the  massa 
cre.  Finlay  was  a  half-breed,  an  employee  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company,  and  the  counsellor  of  the 
Indians.  Joe  Lewis  was  really  the  leader  in  the 
whole  affair.  Several  times  before  the  massacre 
Mrs.  Whitman  had  seen  him  coming  to  a  window 
with  a  gun  and  had  asked  him:  "  What  do  you 
want?  "  At  the  sound  of  her  voice  he  ran  away. 

To  resume  my  story :  Mrs.  Osborn,  seizing  her 
child,  ran  into  the  Indian  room,  where  Mr.  Osborn 
immediately  followed  and  managed  to  hide  all  of 
them  under  the  floor. 

The  Indians  next  began  their  destruction  out 
side  the  Whitman  house.  Just  then,  assisted  by 
Mrs.  Hayes,  who  had  hurried  in  from  the  mansion, 
Mrs.  Whitman  dragged  her  dying  husband  into  the 


.  AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  341 

dining-room,  and  placed  his  head  upon  a  pillow, 
and  did  all  she  could  to  stay  the  blood  and  to  revive 
him,  but  without  avail.  All  he  said  until  he 
breathed  his  last  was,  '  '  No, ' '  repeating  the  word 
in  a  low  whisper  in  answer  to  several  questions. 

Just  then  the  women  saw  Mr.  Kimball  come  in 
through  the  kitchen  and  run  upstairs  with  his  arm 
broken  and  hanging  by  his  side.  Mr.  Rogers  fol 
lowed  him  with  a  wounded  arm,  his  head  covered 
with  blood  from  the  cut  of  a  tomahawk.  Rogers 
assisted  the  women  in  making  fast  the  doors  and  in 
carrying  the  sick  children  upstairs. 

Out  of  doors  were  heard  the  screams  of  fright 
ened  and  fleeing  women  and  children,  the  groans 
and  struggles  of  the  dying,  the  roar  of  musketry,  the 
whistling  of  balls,  the  blows  of  the  tomahawk,  and 
a  furious  riding  about  of  naked  and  hideously 
painted  Indians,  who  gave  unearthly  yells  char 
acteristic  of  infuriated  savages  maddened  like 
tigers,  at  the  sight  and  smell  of  human  blood.  It 
would  seem  hardly  possible  that  there  could  have 
been  so  much  noise  and  terror  where  there  were  so 
few  to  be  slain. 

Mrs.  Whitman  saw  two  Americans  fall  under 
the  Indians '  blows  outside  her  window,  and,  as  she 
looked,  an  Indian  who  had  always  been  treated 
most  kindly  by  her,  leveled  his  gun  at  her  and  fired. 
The  ball  penetrated  her  right  breast  and  she  fell 
forward,  uttering  a  single  groan.  Presently  she 
revived,  rose,  and  went  to  the  settee,  and  was  heard 
by  some  one  who  escaped  to  pray  for  their  adopted 
children  (the  Sager  family,  who  had  lost  their 
parents  in  crossing  the  Plains),  and  also  for  her 


342  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

aged  father  and  mother  back  in  the  East,  that  they 
might  be  sustained  under  the  terrible  shock  that 
would  follow  the  news  of  this  tragedy.  Soon  after 
this  prayer  she  was  helped  into  her  chamber,  where 
were  now  Mrs.  Hayes,  Miss  Bewley,  Katherine 
Sager,  Messrs.  Kimball,  Rogers,  and  the  three  sick 
children,— nine  persons  altogether.  The  rooms 
below  were  then  being  plundered  and  the  furniture 
smashed  in  pieces,  Joe  Lewis  leading  in  the  work 
of  destruction. 

The  famous  Cayuse  Tilokaikt,  seeing  Dr.  Whit 
man  still  breathing,  deliberately  chopped  his  face, 
but  still  death  did  not  come.  John  Sager  was 
similarly  cut. 

Joe  Lewis  now  made  his  way  into  the  school 
room  and,  finding  the  hidden  children,  brought 
them  into  the  kitchen  to  be  shot.  As  Francis  Sager 
passed  his  mangled  brother  he  removed  the  tippet 
from  the  wound,  when  John,  attempting  to  speak, 
immediately  expired.  Francis  said  to  his  sister: 
"  I  shall  soon  follow  my  brother." 

Eliza  Spalding,  the  missionary's  sweet  daugh 
ter,  who  was  among  the  children,  understood  every 
word  the  Indians  said  while  they  were  pointing 
their  guns  at  them  and  yelling : ' 6  Shall  we  shoot  ?  ' : 
Eliza,  in  anguish  of  mind,  leaned  upon  the  sink  and 
covered  her  face  with  her  apron  that  she  might  not 
see  them  shoot  her. 

From  this  place  the  children  were  taken  out  of 
doors  by  the  side  of  the  Indian  room.  The  Indians 
next  called  to  Mrs.  Whitman  and  Mr.  Rogers  to 
come  downstairs.  On  receiving  no  answer  Tam- 
saky  started  to  go  up,  but  discovering  the  end  of 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  343 

an  old  gun  desisted.  He  urged  them  to  come  down, 
saying  that  nobody  would  hurt  them.  Mrs  Whit 
man  answered  that  she  was  shot  and  had  not 
strength  to  come  down,  besides  she  feared  they 
would  kill  her.  Tamsaky  expressed  much  sorrow 
and  promised  that  no  one  would  be  hurt.  Mrs. 
Whitman  answered :  "If  you  are  my  friend  come 
up  and  see  me!  r 

"  No,"  he  replied,  "  there  are  Americans  with 
arms  who  would  kill  me."  Mr.  Rogers,  near  the 
head  of  the  stairs,  told  him  there  were  none,  so  he 
came  up,  sympathizing  with  the  sufferers  and  as 
suring  them  that  he  was  sorry  for  what  had  taken 
place.  He  urged  Mrs.  Whitman  to  come  down  and 
be  taken  to  the  other  house,  where  the  families 
were,  intimating  that  the  young  men  might  destroy 
her  house  in  the  night.  Just  then  Joe  Lewis  cried 
out:  "We  will  now  burn!"  and  proceeded  to 
execute  his  threat. 

They  came  out,  Mrs.  Whitman  being  carried  on 
a  settee.  They  heard  the  command  not  to  shoot  the 
children.  Mr.  Rogers  perceiving  their  treachery, 
dropped  the  settee  and  raised  his  hands  exclaim 
ing  :  ' '  Oh,  my  God ! ' '  when  a  volley  was  fired  from 
within  and  from  without  the  house  at  Mrs.  Whit 
man  and  himself.  He  fell  upon  his  face  pierced 
with  many  balls,  and  Mrs.  Whitman  was  instantly 
killed.  An  Indian  near  by  caught  Francis  Sager 
and  held  him,  while  Joe  Lewis,  exclaiming :  "  You 
bad  boy!  "  deliberately  shot  him. 

Mr.  Kimball,  Katherine  Sager,  and  the  three 
sick  children  remained  in  the  chamber  all  night. 
Mr.  Osborn  remained  under  the  floor  till  the  In- 
21 


344  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

dians  retired;  he  then  made  his  escape  to  Port 
Walla  Walla  with  his  family.  The  three  men  who 
were  dressing  the  beef  were  shot  early  in  the 
massacre  and  all  were  wounded.  Mr.  Kimball  ran 
to  the  house,  Mr.  Canfield  to  the  blacksmith  shop 
and  thence  to  the  mansion,  where,  strange  to  say, 
he  managed  to  hide  till  night,  when  he  fled  for 
Lapwai.  Mr.  Hall  wrenched  a  loaded  gun  from  an 
Indian  and  ran  for  the  bushes ;  he,  too,  reached  the 
fort  the  next  day,  and  was  carried  across  the  Co 
lumbia  but  was  never  heard  from  again.  Mr. 
Gillan  was  slain  upon  his  bench.  Mr.  Marsh, 
pierced  with  a  ball,  started  toward  the  Whitman 
house,  but  expired  before  he  reached  it. 

Mr.  Saunders  emerged  from  the  schoolroom, 
and,  being  seized  by  several  Indians,  was  thrown 
upon  the  ground  and  wounded  with  musket  balls 
and  tomahawks.  Being  a  strong  and  active  man 
he  rose,  though  wounded,  and  ran  some  distance, 
but  was  at  last  overtaken,  surrounded,  and  mur 
dered.  Hoffman  was  also  cut  down  after  a  despe 
rate  fight,  which  he  made  with  a  knife;  his  body 
was  cut  open  and  his  heart  and  liver  taken  out. 

Joe  Lewis  took  the  two  Manson  boys  and  a  half- 
breed  Spanish  boy,  whom  Dr.  Whitman  had  raised, 
and  soon  arranged  to  send  them  to  the  fort. 
Whoever  this  Joe  Lewis  was,  or  wherever  he  came 
from,  he  acted  faithfully  his  part  in  the  great 
"  overturn  "  which  he  had  predicted.  It  is  said 
that  he  afterward  killed  a  guide  who  belonged  to  a 
company  of  United  States  troops  and  was  himself 
shot  for  his  crime. 

The  facts  which  I  have  given  of  this  frontier 


AMONG   OUK   HOSTILE   INDIANS  345 

tragedy  are  substantially  those  narrated  by  Mr. 
W.  H.  Gray,  who  went  to  Oregon  with  Dr.  Whit 
man,  and  who  has  left  us  this  sifted  story  of  the 
terrible  massacre.  The  Cayuse  Indians  led  by  Joe 
Lewis  perpetrated  the  murders,  but  they  were  only 
the  executioners  of  a  dreadful  plot  whose  authors 
are  not  even  yet  fully  known.  Surely  it  was  a 
contest  primarily  aimed  against  United  States  im 
migration  and  settlement,  and  fomented  by  the  old 
contest  of  one  religious  faith  endeavoring  to  sup 
plant  and  destroy  another.  The  executioners  may 
have  gone  beyond  the  design  of  those  who  planned 
the  crime,  for  savages  when  used  as  instruments 
by  civilized  men  cannot  always  be  controlled. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

CAMPAIGNING  ON  THE  UPPER  COLUMBIA  —  EXPERIENCES 

WITH  MOSES,  WAR-CHIEF  OF  THE  SPOKANES  — 

HIS  OWN  NARRATIVE. 

Moses,  the  War-Chief  of  the  Spokanes  —  His  Personal  Appearance  — 
A  Diplomatic  Indian  —  Some  Hostile  Threats  —  Fears  of  an  Out 
break —  My  Letter  to  Chief  Moses  —  His  Reply  —  The  Gathering 
War  Clouds  —  Efforts  to  Pacify  Moses  —  Starting  for  'His  Camp 
—  Moses  and  Sixty  Painted  Warriors  Advance  to  Meet  Me  —  Hunt 
ing  for  the  Murderers  of  the  Perkins  Family  —  Arrest  of  Moses 
and  His  Imprisonment  —  The  Story  of  His  Experiences  Narrated 
by  Himself  —  "  Our  Hearts  are  One  "  —  How  Misunderstandings 
Arise  Between  Indians  and  Whites  —  Release  of  Moses. 

THE  first  time  I  met  Moses,  the  war  chief  of 
the  Spokanes,  was  the  8th  of  June,  1877,  a 
date  previously  mentioned,  when  he  came  to 
meet  Colonel  Watkins  and  me  at  Fort  Simcoe.    It 
then  took  our  messengers  three  days  to  reach  his 
camp,  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles, 
but  not  half  that  time  for  him  to  come  to  us. 

Moses  had  been  informed  that  the  government 
at  Washington  required  him  to  go  upon  the  Ya- 
kima  or  some  other  reservation.  He  came  to  the 
council  to  represent  his  own  band,  the  Methuse 
Indians,  the  Okanagans,  and  other  nomadic  tribes 
located  near  the  upper  Columbia  waters ;  probably 
every  one  of  these  bands  had  belonged  in  a  general 
way  to  the  Flatheads.  Moses  was  a  large,  muscu 
lar,  and  handsome  Indian,  neat  in  his  dress,  head 
carried  well  up  and  with  a  proud  pose.  His  eyes 
were  red,  caused  by  the  smoke  from  Indian  camp- 


PLATE 


GIRLS  BUCKSKIN  BEADED  CLOTHES  BAG;  GARTERS,- TOILET  AND  TOBACCO 
POUCHES;  MOCCASINS,  NEEDLE  CASE,  FIRE  BAG,  ETC. 

PHOTOGRAPHED  AND  PAINTED  FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  OBJECTS  EXPRESSLY  FOR  THIS  WORK. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  349 

fires,  and  by  the  wind  and  alkali  dust  that  he  had 
met  on  the  way.  His  first  speech  was:  "  My  In 
dians  are  scattered  over  a  large  country.  I  cannot 
say  what  they  will  do.  I  am  ready  to  go  on  any 
reservation,  except  this  at  Fort  Simcoe.  Several 
tribes  of  the  Indians  above  the  Spokane  have  in 
vited  me  to  become  their  chief,  and  if  they  shall 
have  a  reservation  I  would  like  to  go  with  them." 

When  an  Indian  answered  me  warily  and  like 
a  diplomat  I  always  tried  to  match  him,  so  I 
answered  that  a  council  would  be  held  near  Spo 
kane  Falls  in  about  twenty-five  days,  where  the 
tribes  and  bands  to  which  he  referred  would  be 
brought  together,  and  should  they  express  to  me 
such  a  desire  I  would  consider  it.  Moses  assented 
to  this  agreement  and  gave  it  his  approval  by  mak 
ing  his  mark  upon  a  formal  paper. 

General  Frank  Wheaton  attended  the  next 
council,  held  near  Spokane  Falls  on  the  16th  of 
August,  1877,  where  he  expected  to  meet  Moses, 
but  in  a  letter  that  I  afterward  received  from  him 
he  wrote:  "  I  regret  that  Chief  Moses  was  not  at 
the  council."  Colonel  Watkins  informed  me  that 
it  was  doubtful  if  Moses  received  notice  to  appear. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  the  message  sent  to  him  by 
Colonel  Watkins  was  duly  delivered  to  Moses,  but 
indirectly  and  through  an  Indian  woman,  whereas 
he  had  expected  a  white  messenger.  Moses  claimed 
that  he  did  not  think  he  was  in  reality  called  to  the 
council,  and  even  declared  that  he  did  not  receive 
word  in  season,  and  so  forth.  By  such  irregular 
proceedings  his  dignity  was  much  offended,  but  he 
still  remained  friendly  to  me. 


350  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Near  the  beginning  of  the  Pi-Ute  and  Bannock 
war  I  received  the  following  message  through  the 
commandant  at  Lapwai:  "  Moses'  people  want  to 
fight,  but  against  his  wishes.  Seven  villages  who 
have  joined  the  hostiles  threaten  to  begin  a  war." 

From  the  knowledge  I  had  already  gained  of 
Moses,  directly  and  indirectly,  and  knowing  the 
great  extent  of  his  influence,  I  deemed  it  best  to 
use  every  exertion  to  persuade  him  to  keep  the 
peace,  for  I  feared  an  outbreak  in  the  upper  Co 
lumbia,  where  he  lived,  more  than  in  southern 
Idaho,  and  I  knew  that  more  mischief  would  be 
done  should  it  occur.  Here  is  a  copy  of  the  letter 
I  sent  to  this  dignified  old  chief : 
"  MOSES,  DEAR  SIR: 

"  I  have  sent  you  word  about  the  Bannocks.  I 
send  again.  The  Bannocks  are  giving  me  trouble, 
so  that  I  cannot  meet  you  as  I  promised  at  Spokane 
Falls.  When  I  come  back  from  the  Bannocks  we 
will  arrange  a  meeting  somewhere.  I  depend  on 
you  to  keep  the  peace.  I  am  glad  you  have  good 
crops  where  you  are." 

Previous  to  this  a  letter  had  come  from  Moses, 
substantially  as  follows: 
"  GENERAL  HOWARD: 

"  I,  Moses,  chief,  want  you  to  know  what  my 
turn-turn  (heart)  is  in  regard  to  my  tribe  and  the 
whites.  Almost  every  day  reports  come  to  me  that 
the  soldiers  from  Walla  Walla  are  coming  to  take 
me  away  from  this  part  of  the  country.  My  people 
are  excited  and  I  want  to  know  from  you  the  truth, 
so  that  I  can  tell  them,  and  keep  everything  quiet 
once  more  among  us.  Since  the  last  war  (the  Nez 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  351 

Perce)  we  have  had  up  here  rumors  that  I  am 
going  to  fight  if  the  soldiers  come.  This  makes  my 
heart  sick.  I  have  said  I  will  not  fight  and  I  say  it 
to  you  again,  and  when  you  hear  white  men  say 
Moses  will  fight  tell  them  '  No. '  I  have  always 
lived  here  upon  the  Columbia  River.  I  am  getting 
old  and  I  do  not  want  to  see  my  blood  shed  on  my 
part  of  the  country.  Chief  Joseph  wanted  me  and 
my  people  to  help  him.  His  orders  were  many.  I 
told  him, '  No,  never ! '  I  watched  my  people  faith 
fully  during  the  war  and  kept  them  at  home.  I 
told  them  all,  when  the  war  broke  out,  that  they 
must  not  steal.  If  they  did,  I  wrould  report  them 
to  Father  Wilbur  (the  Indian  agent  at  Simcoe). 

"It  is  time  for  us  to  begin  spring  work.  We 
all  raise  lots  of  vegetables,  and  wheat  and  corn,  and 
trade  with  Chinamen  to  get  money.  I  wish  you 
would  write  me  and  tell  me  the  truth,  so  that  I  can 
tell  my  people  that  they  may  be  contented  once 
more  and  go  to  work  in  their  gardens.  I  do  not 
want  to  go  on  the  Yakima  reservation.  I  wish  to 
stay  where  I  have  always  lived  and  where  my 
parents  died.  I  wish  you  would  write  to  me  and 
send  your  letter  by  the  bearer  of  this,  and  be  sure 
I  am  a  friend  and  that  I  tell  you  the  truth. 

his 

"  (Signed)     Moses    X    Chief/' 
mark 

The  following  May  a  prominent  citizen,  Mr. 
John  A.  Shoudy,  who  lived  about  thirty  miles  from 
Moses'  resort,  while  in  Yakima  City  sent  the  fol 
lowing  statement  to  me:  "  There  are  about  three 
hundred  people  whose  lives  would  be  in  immediate 


352  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

danger  should  Moses'  Indians  break  out.  We 
think  the  Indians  are  now  peaceably  disposed  and 
would  prefer  that  they  should  stay  where  they  are, 
as  the  land  they  occupy  is  of  no  material  value  to 
the  whites.  We  believe  that  if  Moses  is  let  alone 
he  will  not  disturb  the  people  nor  commence  hos 
tilities  anywhere.  I  translated  General  Howard's 
letter  to  him,  and  he  was  glad  enough  to  get  it,  and 
said  as  long  as  the  one-armed  man  was  his  friend 
he  feared  no  trouble.  But  if  the  Indian  bureau 
should  insist  upon  putting  Moses  upon  the  Yakima 
reserve  his  band  and  several  others  will  certainly 
resist  and  then  run  for  the  British  line.  Some 
body  keeps  telling  him  that  General  Howard  is 
going  to  force  him  upon  some  reservation. ' ' 

Shoudy 's  friend  added:  "  Shoudy  has  gone 
home.  He  will  see  Moses  immediately  and  report. 
As  the  lives  of  members  of  his  family  are  at  stake, 
and  as  he  thinks  he  can  safely  keep  them  within 
thirty  miles  of  Moses'  lodge,  it  shows  that  he 
(Shoudy)  believes  that  the  Indians  up  there  are 
peaceably  inclined." 

Other  letters  came  from  Moses.  In  one  he 
said :  "I  want  to  live  the  balance  of  my  days  in 
peace  with  all.  I  do  not  think  we  ought  to  be  like 
dogs  all  the  time.  My  turn-turn  is  to  quit  this  way 
of  doing." 

Later,  somebody  sent  me  a  telegram  to  this 
effect:  "  Moses  hopes  General  Howard  will  visit 
him  and  his  people  soon,  as  he  promised  to  do." 
Moses  wished  to  be  reassured  that  the  Indians  con 
nected  with  him  would  not  be  disturbed  in  their 
habitations.  At  this  time  I  was  so  absorbed  in 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  353 

other  matters  of  vital  importance  that  I  sent  an 
aide-de-camp  to  meet  Moses.  The  aide  telegraphed 
after  a  personal  interview:  "Moses  met  me  at 
Kititas  Valley.Monday,  riding  all  night.  His  mes 
sage  to  you  is  satisfactory. ' ' 

Notwithstanding  the  Indian  bureau's  urgent 
desire  to  gather  all  the  Indians  on  reservations,  in 
order  to  satisfy  timid  or  greedy  white  men,  I 
deemed  it  judicious  to  secure  a  delay  in  the  case  of 
Moses.  Thus  matters  remained  till  near  the  close 
of  the  Pi-Ute  and  Bannock  war.  A  few  renegade 
Indians  engaged  in  that  war  succeeded  in  crossing 
the  Columbia  from  south  to  north,  and  murdered 
a  white  family  by  the  name  of  Perkins.  The  mur 
derers  then  pushed  on  and  encamped  near  Moses, 
doubtless  hoping  to  incite  him  to  rebellion.  The 
renegade  murderers  failed  in  this,  but  continued 
to  skulk  around  somewhere  in  the  big  bend  of  the 
Columbia. 

At  last,  with  an  escort  and  plenty  of  troops,  I 
went  to  Moses'  camp,  both  to  fulfill  my  promise 
and  to  form  a  correct  judgment  with  regard  to  all 
the  upper  Columbia  Indians  of  whom  sundry  white 
inhabitants  were  suspicious.  Moses  and  sixty  war 
riors,  freshly  and  handsomely  painted,  all  armed 
and  well  mounted,  rode  eighty  miles  to  meet  me. 
We  had  a  council  of  two  days'  duration.  The  In 
dians  agreed  to  deliver  up  the  murderers  of  the 
Perkins  family,  if  they  came  to  them,  and  any 
stolen  horses  which  they  could  discover.  Then, 
through  Moses,  they  made  a  formal  request  that 
the  big  bend  of  the  Columbia  should  be  set  apart 
as  their  home,  and  that  they  might  have  some  ter- 


354  MY  LITE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

ritory  on  the  other  side  of  the  river.  I  made  a  note 
of  their  request  and  promised  to  forward  it  to  the 
President  and  to  convey  to  them  his  reply.  This 
was  the  President's  answer  through  his  secretary: 

""  Agent  Wilbur  believes  that  he  can  bring 
Moses  and  his  people,  without  trouble,  on  the  Ya- 
kima  reservation.  Let  this  be  done  if  possible. 
Second,  should  Agent  Wilbur  fail  in  this,  then  the 
Indians'  request  will  be  granted." 

Upon  invitation  of  Agent  Wilbur  in  the  early 
part  of  December,  1878,  Moses  came  again  to  his 
agency  for  a  conference,  and  agreed  to  furnish  an 
Indian  contingent  to  act  with  the  Yakima  Indian 
police  in  the  arrest  of  that  small  band  which  was 
charged  with  the  murder  of  the  Perkins  family, 
and  also  with  horse  stealing.  This  conference  was 
supplemented  by  a  meeting  of  citizens  at  Yakima 
City,  a  hamlet  near  Wilbur's  reservation. 

Moses  was  present  at  that  meeting.  It  resulted 
in  an  agreement  on  the  citizens'  part  to  furnish 
twenty  volunteers,  armed  and  equipped,  to  act 
jointly  with  Moses,  whom  they  agreed  to  meet  at 
or  near  Priest's  Rapids  on  the  Columbia. 

Uniting  and  crossing  there  the  combined  party 
were  to  proceed  to  what  was  called  the  Crab  Creek 
country  for  the  purpose  of  arresting  the  fugitive 
criminals.  Moses,  with  his  followers,  was  on  hand, 
but  the  volunteers  were  diverted  by  some  subse 
quent  report  to  a  place  twelve  miles  below,  where 
they  heard  that  the  Perkins'  murderers  had  been 
seen  later.  The  failure  to  meet  him  very  naturally 
excited  in  Moses'  mind  a  suspicion  of  bad  faith. 
Informed  by  an  Indian  runner  that  the  whites  had 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  355 

crossed  the  Columbia  far  below  him,  he  hastily 
called  together  all  Indians  of  his  vicinity  and  pro 
ceeded  to  that  crossing.  Uneasy  and  fearful  of 
treachery,  Moses,  meeting  the  whites,  confronted 
them  in  what  they  considered  a  menacing  attitude. 
There  was,  however,  no  firing  or  outbreak.  A 
parley  ensued  between  him  and  the  captain  of  the 
volunteers,  and,  after  some  wordy  altercation,  both 
parties  withdrew  without  positive  collision. 

On  reflection,  after  returning  home,  Moses  con 
cluded  to  go  in  quest  of  the  malefactors  independ 
ently,  so  with  nine  picked  men  he  set  out  for  Crab 
Creek,  and  encamped  there.  On  the  20th  of  De 
cember,  while  asleep  in  his  camp,  a  bright  fire 
burning,  and  his  horses  turned  out  to  graze,  Moses 
and  his  small  escort  were  suddenly  surrounded  by 
the  volunteers  and  the  Yakima  Indian  police.  He 
suffered  himself  to  be  captured  and  disarmed  with 
out  resistance.  Six  of  his  men  were  subsequently 
released  upon  giving  a  promise  to  continue  the 
search  for  the  murderers,  while  Moses,  with  the 
remainder,  was  hurried  off  to  Yakima  City  and 
shut  up  in  jail. 

Then  Mr.  Wilbur,  the  agent,  fearing  violence 
from  the  citizens,  assumed  the  responsibility  for 
Moses.  He  bailed  him  out  and  took  him  to  his 
agency  at  Fort  Simcoe,  and  held  him  in  confine 
ment  there.  The  other  six  Indians  succeeded  in 
arresting  one  of  the  murderers,  another  committed 
suicide,  and  two  more  were  subsequently  taken 
and  placed  in  jail  to  await  the  action  of  the  civil 
authorities. 

The  volunteers  now  returned  to  their  homes. 


356  MY  LITE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

No  indications  of  an  outbreak  among  the  Indians 
followed  these  proceedings.  Moses  was  confined 
in  the  Yakima  City  jail  for  a  few  days,  and  while 
there,  under  date  of  December  25,  1878,  made  the 
following  statement : 

"  When  Agent  Wilbur  sent  Eneas*  for  me  I 
came  at  once.  I  arrived  at  Simcoe  and  was  in 
formed  that  he  wanted  me  to  go  after  the  Perkins' 
murderers.  The  proposition  was  to  send  fifteen 
men  of  the  agency  police.  I  said :  i  No ;  these  mur 
derers  are  strong ;  fifteen  men  are  not  enough. '  I 
promised  to  send  five  of  my  best  men,  making 
twenty  in  all. 

"  The  conference  then  broke  up  and  I  started 
to  go  home.  On  the  way  one  of  the  horses  of  my 
party  broke  down  and  I  told  the  man  to  go  to  a 
camp  near  the  river,  but  to  say  nothing  about  our 
arrangement,  so  that  the  friends  of  the  murderers 
would  not  hear  of  it. 

' '  I  reached  the  Columbia  River  in  the  night ; 
my  people  were  at  the  one  house.  I  told  them  all 
to  stay  there  and  not  go  away;  that  tomorrow  or 
the  day  after  the  Bostons  t  would  come  with  the 
agency  Indians,  and  to  watch  for  them,  and  when 
they  arrived  to  take  their  boats  to  the  place  agreed 
upon  for  the  crossing.  I  directed  my  people,  when 
the  party  reached  there,  to  send  a  man  to  my  house, 
eight  miles  distant,  and  let  me  know.  I  then  went 
home  and  slept  there.  A  young  man  came  to  my 
house  as  directed  and  said  the  Bostons  had  come 
on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  but  they  did  not  come 

*  Eneas  was  Wilbur's  Indian  scout. 

f  A  term  frequently  applied  to  white  troops. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  357 

to  the  place  he  was  watching,  where  the  boats  were 
waiting.  They  had  gone  below. 

"  After  this  I  stayed  at  my  house  one  night  and 
told  my  young  men  to  go  and  get  their  horses  and 
we  would  go  and  see  the  Bostons.  Forty  or  fifty  of 
iny  people  went  with  me.  I  did  not  go  with  a  dis 
position  to  fight  or  with  a  warlike  purpose.  My 
people  wanted  to  see,  and,  from  custom,  took  their 
guns.  My  young  men  went  along  laughing  and 
talking.  I  went  on  until  I  could  see  the  agency 
Indians  and  the  others,  a  little  below  the  Indian 
house.  Just  before  arriving  I  met  Eneas  and  told 
him  to  go  back  to  his  party  and  I  would  come  on. 

"  When  I  came  near  the  Bostons'  camp  I  saw 
them  getting  on  their  horses  excitedly,  but  I  went 
right  on  close  up  to  them.  Billie  Splawn,  the  cap 
tain,  came  out  and  shook  hands  with  me  and  wanted 
to  know  what  this  meant,  so  many  Indians  coming 
there  with  guns  in  their  hands,  and  horses.  I  an 
swered  that  it  was  because  the  young  men  wanted 
to  see.  My  people  were  not  far  away.  Splawn 
wanted  to  know  if  all  of  us  were  going  with  him 
after  the  murderers. 

"I  said:  'No,  but  I  will  send  some  of  my 
tennas  (picked)  men.'  My  guns  were  all  pointed 
up  to  the  sky,  not  one  toward  the  Bostons.  As 
Splawn  and  I  stood  together  I  called  to  Eneas  and 
asked  him  if  he  had  a  bad  heart  toward  me,  and 
what  I  had  done  that  he  should  have  bad  feeling  ? 
I  told  him  then  that  my  heart  was  all  straight  and 
that  I  did  not  know  why  we  should  be  bitter  toward 
each  other. 

"Not  long  after  this  the  Bostons  and  agency 


358  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Indians,  separating  from  us,  went  down  the  river. 
With  my  people  I  went  back  and  stayed  at  my 
home  three  nights.  Mr.  Simbley  and  five  other 
Bostons  then  came  to  my  house.  One  of  the  mules 
they  rode  had  become  tired.  I  told  him  to  leave  the 
mule,  and  I  replaced  it  by  one  of  my  horses. 

"  This  is  the  way  my  heart  has  been  all  the  time 
with  the  whites.  Is  it  for  this  and  for  other  kind 
nesses  that  I  now  have  these  shackles  on  my  limbs  ? 
Mr.  Simbley  wanted  to  know  where  the  party  of 
Bostons  were.  I  said  at  White  Bluffs.  He  and  his 
men  then  went  down  the  river,  staying  where  the 
volunteers  crossed  two  nights,  and  then  made  for 
White  Bluffs,  but  Crab  Creek  was  some  twenty- 
five  or  thirty  miles  distant.  The  next  day  an  old 
man  came  to  me  and  told  me  where  the  volunteers 
were.  I  made  my  young  men  hasten,  taking  nine 
with  me,  and  went  to  help  arrest  the  murderers. 
I  made  up  my  mind  at  once  that  I  would  give  four 
more  than  I  had  promised.  For  fear  of  any  mis 
understanding  I  went  myself.  My  intention  was 
to  keep  on  with  the  nine  till  I  met  the  volunteers, 
let  the  nine  work  with  the  others,  and  return  my 
self  to  my  home. 

"  The  first  day  we  kept  on  our  march  until  into 
the  night.  I  said  as  we  halted :  '  Here  we  will  stay 
until  the  sun  rises,  so  as  to  see  where  the  Bostons 
are.'  We  lay  down  to  sleep  around  a  large  fire; 
there  was  a  hill  on  one  side  of  us  and  a  road  not  far 
away,  which  led  over  the  hill  to  White  Bluffs. 
There  was  a  stream  of  water  over  there  where  I 
thought  the  whites  were  encamped.  They  came  to 
the  top  of  the  hill  in  the  night  and  saw  our  fire.  As 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  359 

they  approached  I  thought  it  was  cattle  running, 
but  it  proved  to  be  the  tramp  of  horses,  and  it  was 
the  volunteer  party  coming.  They  came  up  with  a 
rush  and  surrounded  my  camp.  I  ordered  my 
people  to  lie  still  and  not  get  up.  Somebody  cried 
out  three  times :  *  It  is  Moses !  Moses !  Moses ! ' 

"  I  then  got  up  and  found  them  around  us  and 
their  guns  trained  on  our  people.  I  thought  we 
were  all  to  be  killed,  so  I  wrapped  my  blanket 
around  me  and  prepared  to  die.  They  dismounted 
and  I  called  out :  '  Do  not  do  so.  We  have  come  to 
help  you ! ' 

"  They  then  disarmed  us,  we  making  no  resist 
ance.  They  took  our  knives  as  well  as  guns.  They 
were  very  strong— a  good  many  had  been  drinking 
whisky,  and  we  came  near  being  killed.  I  gave  up 
my  own  knife,  pistol,  and  gun.  I  told  them  we  wrere 
not  to  quarrel  among  ourselves,  or  with  Mr.  Wil 
bur's  men,  but  that  our  only  business  was  to  get  the 
murderers.  All  this  occurred  about  four  in  the 
morning.  The  whole  party  next  went  on  to  Crab 
Creek,  myself  and  nine  men  being  held  as  prison 
ers.  We  stayed  there  one  night  and  when  the  sun 
arose  started  back  to  White  Bluffs. 

"  I  then  said:  '  Give  back  the  guns,  the  nine 
men  shall  go  with  you  to  capture  the  murderers ;  I 
will  go  home. ' 

"  They  answered,  '  No/  and  took  away  also  our 
provisions  and  went  on  to  White  Bluffs.  I  ad 
vised  them  not  to  go  back  there ;  that  going  there 
would  take  us  in  the  opposite  direction  from  the 
criminals.  I  then  proposed  that  three  of  my  men 
should  go  with  three  of  the  Indians  and  two  or 


360  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

three  of  the  Bostons  in  pursuit  of  the  murderers. 

"  They  said:    'No.' 

"Again  I  proposed  to  the  whites  to  send  six.  I 
had  good  horses  and  wanted  them  to  go,  but  said : 
'  You  must  return  their  guns. '  They  answered  no 
to  this,  but  consented  to  let  them  have  pistols. 
With  this  outfit  I  let  them  go. 

"I  have  watched  my  people,  not  only  those 
about  me,  but  all  around  the  country,  and  if  they 
had  done  badly  I  would  have  caught  them  and  put 
chains  on  them  as  you  have  put  them  on  me.  If 
my  people  had  caused  the  trouble  for  which  I  am 
held  I  would  not  feel  so  hurt  about  it,  but  it  is  in 
consequence  of  the  acts  of  renegade  Umatillas  that 
I  have  these  irons  on  and  am  made  to  suffer.  The 
Bostons  in  the  Kititas  Valley  have  a  good  heart 
toward  me  and  treat  me  all  right,  but  here  every 
thing  is  dark.  I  have  a  thick  bundle  of  papers 
from  General  Howard  and  other  tyhees.  I  shall 
not  throw  these  away  and  go  to  fighting. 

"  When  the  sun  comes  up  one  day  I  do  not  talk 
one  way  and  the  next  day  another.  I  only  have  one 
straight  way.  When  the  Bostons,  one,  two,  or 
three,  no  matter  how  many,  pass  through  my  coun 
try  my  people  do  not  disturb  them.  My  mind  is 
not  to  die  by  violence  in  war,  but  to  die  when  I  get 
sick  or  old  like  other  people.  I  do  not  know  who 
brought  these  irons  upon  me,  whether  Eneas  or 
some  other,  but  it  is  the  lying  that  has  done  it. 
These  chains  are  working  a  lie  against  me. 

"  When  General  Howard  and  I  had  the  talk  at 
Priest's  Rapids  last  summer  about  a  reservation 
I  did  not  expect  an  answer  right  off.  After  the  talk 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE    INDIANS  361 

my  mind  was  at  rest  until  he  should  give  me  an 
answer.  I  believed  all  the  time  that  he  and  I  were 
friends. 

"  While  he  was  fighting  last  year  and  the  year 
before  I  was  holding  my  people  back  so  that  they 
would  do  nothing  bad.  General  Howard  did  ex 
actly  right,  and  I  am  trying  to  do  the  same.  We 
have  been  a  good  way  apart,— General  Howard  and 
I,— but  our  minds  have  been  together— our  hearts 
are  one. 

"While  the  Bostons  and  friendly  Siwashes 
(police)  have  lied  about  me  and  brought  the  chains 
on  me,  if  I  am  liberated  I  do  not  mean  to  have  a 
bad  heart  toward  them.  My  mind  is  to  go  along 
the  road  with  good  men  —  those  that  tell  the  truth 
and  do  not  lie.  In  staying  here  I  am  getting  very 
tired  and  I  would  like  to  hear  from  General  How 
ard  very  soon,  so  that  I  can  go  to  my  own  house. " 

When  pushed  by  questions  as  to  bringing  his 
people  upon  the  Yakima  reservation  Moses'  man 
liness  was  apparent.  He  said:  "  I  prefer  not  to 
answer  that  until  after  the  question  of  reservation 
is  finally  settled,  and  until  after  I  have  seen  my 
head  men  and  understand  their  minds. ' ' 

A  physician  by  the  name  of  Kuykendell  has 
given  the  citizen's  view  of  Moses.  He  says  that 
the  Indian  Eneas,  Wilbur's  scout,  represented  to 
Captain  William  Splawn,  the  commander  of  the 
volunteers,  that  on  the  scout's  visit  to  him  Moses 
was  grum  and  sullen  and  had  but  little  to  say ;  that 
he  refused  to  furnish  the  men  as  he  had  promised 
and  was  not  disposed  to  do  anything.  Eneas  feared 
he  meant  fight.  When  Moses  met  the  captain  he 


362  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

had  nearly  a  hundred  men,  all  painted,  feathered, 
and  yelling  like  excited  savages.  Again,  when  Cap 
tain  Splawn  spoke  to  Moses  he  at  first  made  no 
reply.  He  asked  him  if  it  was  necessary  to  have  all 
of  those  Indians  to  find  the  thieves  and  murderers. 
Moses  said :  '  *  No. ' '  The  doctor  thinks  that  Moses 
at  last  sent  the  six  men  as  helpers  merely  with  the 
hope  of  getting  himself  released. 

In  all  this  we  can  see  how  easy  it  was  for  two 
men  not  speaking  the  same  language,  and  for 
white  men,  full  of  suspicion  and  fear  of  an  Indian 
outbreak,  to  misunderstand  each  other. 

Fortunately  Mr.  Wilbur  appealed  to  me  and  I 
released  Moses  from  confinement  and  took  the 
whole  responsibility  of  his  subsequent  conduct  upon 
my  own  shoulders,  and  he  never  disappointed  me. 

During  the  fall  of  1878  and  the  early  part  of  the 
winter  following  the  Indians,  who  had  scattered 
over  a  large  territory  in  the  upper  Columbia,  had 
not  yet  been  gathered  upon  a  reservation.  Some  of 
them,  however,  had  wandered  away  from  different 
agencies  and  continued  nomadic,  being  constantly 
involved  in  troubles  with  the  whites,  especially  in 
the  thickly  settled  parts  of  the  Yakima  country. 
We  succeeded  in  bringing  a  few  of  them  upon  the 
Yakima  reservation.  The  release  of  Moses  from 
prison  did  not  allay  the  excitement.  There  were 
terrible  threats  on  the  part  of  both  whites  and  In 
dians,  and  at  last  Agent  Wilbur,  fearing  an  out 
break,  made  a  formal  requisition  for  the  presence 
of  troops.  I  answered  him  favorably  and  placed  a 
good  camp  in  Kititas  Valley  near  the  headwaters 
of  the  Yakima  River. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  363 

In  consequence  of  these  difficulties  and  others 
of  a  worse  sort  among  the  Umatillas,  where  some 
Indian  murderers  had  been  tried  and  executed, 
and  where  the  Indians  were  divided  between  the 
friendly  and  helpful  and  the  secretly  hostile,  it 
was  thought  best  to  humor  the  Indians  by  sending 
certain  chiefs  of  the  Umatillas  to  Washington, 
where  their  pleadings  could  be  heard.  Agent  Cor- 
noyer  was  to  be  their  mouthpiece.  I  sent  also 
Chief  Moses  and  a  member  of  his  tribe.  In  order 
to  give  confidence  to  Moses  and  some  other  non- 
treaty  Indians  that  they  would  have  a  safe  journey 
and  return,  I  sent  with  them  an  officer  in  whom 
they  had  confidence,  Major  Boyle  of  the  Twenty- 
first  Infantry.  This  measure  of  sending  the  chiefs 
had  a  good  effect  upon  all  the  Indians  left  behind. 

Quite  a  tract  of  country  had  been  set  apart  be 
tween  the  Columbia  and  the  Okanagan  Rivers 
named  the  Colville  reservation.  Upon  it  was  a 
large  Roman  Catholic  agency  for  the  Colville  In 
dians  proper,  but  few  of  the  Indians  themselves 
had  ever  gone  upon  the  reservation  to  dwell ;  a  few 
small  bands,  however,  nominally  under  this  agency, 
were  on  and  near  the  big  reserve.  Moses  begged 
of  me  to  let  him  take  his  people  into  the  same  ter 
ritory,  that  is,  into  unoccupied  parts,  and  if  we 
would  extend  the  lines  to  the  Methow  River  he 
could  surely  get  all  the  Indians  who  had  made 
common  cause  with  him  under  reservation  cover. 

A  very  good  agreement  was  made  with  Chief 
Moses  while  in  Washington,,  but  when  he  returned 
there  seemed  to  be  some  doubt  about  the  limits  of 
the  lands  intended  in  the  promise ;  however,  Major 


364  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Boyle  promptly  made  a  careful  affidavit  to  the 
agreement  actually  made.  To  settle  all  difficulties 
and  to  relieve  apprehensions,  Governor  Ferry  of 
Washington  Territory  and  myself,  with  consider 
able  force,  made  an  expedition  to  the  Colville  coun 
try.  Chief  Moses  and  other  chiefs,  representing  a 
large  number  of  Indian  tribes,  met  us  at  a  frontier 
store,  the  only  inhabited  place  near  the  Wenat- 
chie.  Here  we  held  very  satisfactory  councils  with 
the  Indians.  So  peaceful  and  complete  were  our 
arrangements  and  settlements  that  I  took  my  large 
force  no  further.  The  peace  then  entered  into 
settled  matters  finally  between  the  whites  and  In 
dians,  so  that  there  has  been  no  disturbance  of  any 
consequence  from  that  day  to  this. 

The  Washington  authorities  overruled  General 
McDowell  and  myself  in  not  sending  the  remnants 
of  the  non-treaty  Nez  Perces  back  to  Oregon.  In 
stead  they  dispatched  them  to  the  Indian  Territory 
proper,  south  of  Kansas,  where  they  remained 
fretful  and  discontented  until  their  entreaties  for 
a  return  to  the  Northwest,  through  humanitarian 
influence,  at  last  secured  permission  to  that  effect. 
Joseph  and  all  that  belonged  to  him  were  then 
transported  to  that  part  of  Washington  Territory 
where  Moses  was,  and  placed  as  neighbors  to  him 
upon  the  great  Colville  reservation. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

ADVENTURES  AMONG  THE  BANNOCKS  — A  MIDNIGHT  WAR 
DANCE  AND  ITS  SEQUENCE. 

The  Bannocks  —  Their  Good  Mounts  and  Equipment  —  A  Shocking  In 
cident  —  My  Bannock  Scouts  —  Mysterious  Disappearance  of 
Twenty  Horses  —  How  I  Made  the  Indians  Recover  Them  —  A 
Distrusted  Chief  —  An  Exciting  Midnight  Scene  —  War-Dance  of 
the  Bannocks  —  An  Uneasy  Night  in  Camp  —  Demanding  Permis 
sion  to  Kill  Three  of  My  Scouts  —  Getting  the  Best  of  the  Ban 
nocks  —  Execution  of  an  Indian  —  Surrounding  the  Indians  — 
Fair  Promises  but  Hollow  Hearts  —  Plans  for  Revenge  —  An  Old 
Indian  Legend  —  Looking  Forward  to  a  Resurrection. 

DURING  my  Nez  Perce  campaign  the  Ban 
nocks  were  mostly  confined  upon  the  great 
reserve  in  eastern  Idaho,  usually  called  the 
Fort  Hall  reservation.  At  that  time  it  is  said  that 
there  were  not  to  exceed  five  hundred  of  these 
people  who  came  under  the  charge  of  a  government 
agency.  In  1877  about  a  score  of  them  accom 
panied  the  troops  for  the  entire  campaign  from 
Idaho  to  the  Missouri  River.  The  meii  were  fairly 
good-looking,  had  good  blankets,  and  their  mounts 
were  in  prime  condition  and  well  equipped  with 
good  saddles  and  bridles. 

It  was  difficult  at  times  to  restrain  them  from 
what  white  men  call  criminal  acts  and  insubordi-l 
nate  conduct.     Once  the  Bannock  scouts  came  sud- ' 
denly  upon   one   of  Joseph's   abandoned   camps. 
Finding  in  it  an  old  woman  too  ill  to  keep  up  with 
the  hostiles  they  instantly  killed  her  and  took  her 
scalp  as  a  token  of  victory.     Again,  on  Gibbon's 


366  MY  LITE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

battle-field,  the  dead,  including  women  and  chil 
dren,  had  been  buried  close  to  the  water  under  the 
bank  of  a  stream.  The  Bannocks  found  and  dis 
interred  their  bodies,  robbed  them  of  clothing  and 
ornaments,  then  pierced  and  mutilated  the  naked 
bodies  in  a  shocking  manner,  carrying  off  their 
scalps.  Our  men  came  upon  this  field  too  late  to 
prevent  the  mischief,  but  they  carefully  buried  the 
dead  again,  more  deeply  than  before.  The  Ban 
nocks  acted  here  just  as  all  wild  Indians  had  been 
taught  to  do  for  a  century.  For  a  while  Buffalo 
Horn,  their  war  chief,  behaved  well  and  sided  with 
me  in  my  attempts  at  discipline. 

At  the  foot  of  the  mountain  near  Mary  Lake 
forty  horses  belonging  to  citizens'  teams,  which 
were  doing  the  transportation  work  for  us,  were 
turned  out  to  graze.  During  the  night  these  horses 
disappeared.  The  rough  and  indiscreet  language 
of  the  Bannock  scouts  aroused  my  suspicion  that  a 
party  of  them  had  taken  the  horses.  I  arrested 
ten  and  held  them  as  prisoners.  Their  leader, 
Eaine,  a  half-breed,  was  surly  and  disrespectful. 
I  had  them  all  disarmed,  their  horses  and  rifles 
taken  from  them,  and  sent  them  as  prisoners  to  the 
guard  tent.  The  brave  scout  Fisher,  who  had  come 
to  help  us  in  controlling  the  Bannocks,  was  on  the 
front  scouting  line,  almost  deserted,  for  the  Ban 
nock  scouts  had  found  something  to  do  besides  hunt 
other  Indian  trails.  Soon  an  old  Bannock  chief 
came  and  begged  of  me  to  release  the  prisoners, 
earnestly  assuring  me  of  their  innocence. 

I  answered:  "  What  you  say  may  be  true,  but 
Indians  are  good  to  hunt  horses.  They  follow 


WAR  BONNET  OF  RED  FLANNEL  ORNAMENTED  WITH  SCALP  LOCKS,  EAGLE 
FEATHERS  AND  BUFFALO  HORNS:  PIPES  .FLUTES.  ETC. 

lye  17 

PHOTOGRAPHED  AND  PAINTED  FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  OBJECTS  EXPRESSLY  FOR  THIS  WORK. 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  369 

blind  trails  better  than  white  men.  Send  some  of 
your  young  men  and  bring  back  the  lost  horses. 
When  they  do  that,  let  me  know." 

"  Yes,  Indians  good  to  hunt  horses,"  said  the 
old  man,  "  I  will  send  them." 

In  a  few  hours  twenty  of  the  horses  came  gal 
loping  into  camp,  chased  by  the  young  Indians. 
Again  the  old  man  came  to  me  and  declared  that 
twenty  were  all  they  could  possibly  find. 

I  said :  "  All  right,  I  shall  not  let  the  prisoners 
go  until  I  see  the  other  twenty  horses." 

The  old  chief  gave  a  grunt  of  dissatisfaction 
and  a  shrug  of  his  shoulders  when  he  left  me.  This 
time  he  went  himself  witli  the  searching  party. 
That  night  the  remaining  twenty  horses  overtook 
us,  and  all  the  prisoners  were  released  except 
Raine,  whom  I  could  not  trust.  He,  at  least,  un 
derstood  that  horse  stealing  was  a  crime  to  be 
punished. 

One  night  we  had  an  exciting  scene  in  which 
Raine  figured.  It  occurred  in  a  beautiful  glade 
near  the  head  waters  of  the  Snake  River.  The 
Bannocks  had  their  tepees  on  a  slight  knoll  not 
far  from  my  bivouac  and  near  the  water.  Buffalo 
Horn  asked  permission  to  have  a  war  dance,  and  I 
consented.  The  unearthly  din  of  their  wild  wail 
ing  and  singing,  the  weird  shapes  of  the  dancing 
Indians  silhouetted  against  the  blazing  camp  fires, 
and  the  sense  of  actual  danger  seemed  to  impress 
my  whole  command  with  a  feeling  akin  to  awe. 
Elsewhere  there  was  an  unusual  stir  of  prepara 
tion  to  start  our  march  by  two  o'clock  in  the  morn 
ing.  The  neighing  of  the  horses  and  the  braying 


370  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

of  the  mules  sounded  ten  times  louder  than  usual. 
It  was  a  night  to  be  remembered.  At  midnight, 
after  the  war  dance  and  a  brief  council,  Buffalo 
Horn  and  Raine  came  to  my  headquarters  and  de 
manded  authority  to  kill  my  three  Nez  Perce 
scouts,  "  Captain  John,"  "  Old  George,"  and  one 
other  comrade  of  the  tribe.  Raine  insisted  that 
they  were  traitors,  that  they  had  rejoiced  at  Jo 
seph's  success  in  the  late  Camas  Meadow  fight, 
and  at  his  surprising  and  stampeding  our  mules. 
He  asserted  that  Old  George,  in  particular,  ought 
to  die. 

I  made  George  face  his  accusers.  He  was  so 
frank  and  evidently  honest  that  I  did  not  for  a 
moment  distrust  him,  and  Buffalo  Horn  was  de 
nied  the  small  favor  he  had  asked.  He  was  very 
angry  at  the  time  and  never  quite  forgave  me 
for  the  refusal.  The  third  Indian  may  have  been 
the  one  that  cut  the  strap  of  the  bell  mare  and 
produced  confusion  in  the  herd  of  mules.  At  any 
rate  he  was  so  terrified  at  the  talk  of  the  Bannocks 
that  he  escaped  that  night  into  the  forest  and  I 
never  saw  him  again. 

All  of  the  Bannock  scouts  left  me  after  the  last 
battle  near  the  Rockies  and  returned  to  their 
agency.  Buffalo  Horn,  puffed  up  with  pride  and 
self-confidence,  hoped  in  the  future  to  do  better 
than  Joseph  and  his  warriors.  So  he  fomented  the 
causes  of  dissatisfaction  in  and  around  Fort  Hall, 
and  stimulated  the  Indians  to  seek  revenge  for  real 
and  fancied  wrongs. 

After  the  Bannocks  had  been  given  a  reserva 
tion,  as  far  back  as  1869,  it  was  determined  by  the 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  371 

Indian  department  to  put  all  roaming  Indians  in 
that  neighborhood  upon  the  same  reservation.  As 
long  as  the  Bannocks  were  the  most  numerous 
there  was.  very  little  trouble.  They  had  thousands 
of  ponies  and  were  nomadic  themselves,  and  were 
really  under  but  little  restraint.  They  simply  came 
to  the  reservation  for  their  annuity  goods  and  de 
parted  at  will.  But  little  by  little  the  roaming 
Indians,  mostly  Shoshones,  came  upon  the  same 
reservation  to  stay ;  goods,  subsistence,  and  cloth 
ing  intended  for  the  Bannocks  were  issued  to  the 
Shoshones,  as  they  were  always  near  at  hand  and 
docile,  and  before  long  they  outnumbered  the  Ban 
nocks  two  to  one.  This  was  the  main  cause  of  the 
restlessness  and  bitter  complaints  of  the  Bannocks. 
They  not  only  hated,  but  robbed  the  more  indus 
trious  and  more  favored  Shoshones. 

There  was  an  immense  stretch  of  camas  mead 
ows  between  the  great  Fort  Hall  reservation  and 
Boise,  Idaho.  The  Bannocks  insisted  on  this  as 
their  own  special  province,  and  regarded  the  white 
settlers  generally  as  their  enemies.  In  August, 
1877,  the  positive  work  of  revenge  began.  A  Ban 
nock  near  Fort  Hall  killed  two  white  teamsters. 
Next  the  authorities,  with  a  view  to  punishing  the 
guilty,  began  to  look  into  the  matter.  '  The  Indian 
agent  sent  his  interpreter  to  the  Bannocks  with  an 
order  for  them  to  come  in  to  his  office  and  bring 
with  them  Petope,  who  wras  believed  to  have  slain 
the  teamsters.  The  Indians  appeared  to  obey. 
They  brought  the  suspected  man  and  delivered  him 
to  the  marshal,  who  conveyed  him  to  prison  at 
Malad  City  to  await  trial.  But  the  Indians  were 


372  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

feigning.  They  despised  the  white  man's  justice. 
They  believed  they  were  merely  squaring  old  scores 
when  they,  through  Petope,  had  killed  the  two 
teamsters. 

Within  an  hour  after  the  marshal  had  gone  the 
suppressed  wrath  of  the  Indians  began  to  show 
itself.  Alexander  Rhodan,  a  young  government 
employee,  was  killed  by  Nam-pe-yo-go,  and  other 
mischief  was  done.  Captain  Bainbridge,  the  com 
mander  of  Fort  Hall,  was  quickly  on  hand  with  a 
detachment  of  troops.  He  demanded  the  murderer 
of  Ehodan  at  the  hands  of  the  Shoshones  and  the 
Bannocks.  The  former  replied  that  if  a  Shoshone 
had  committed  the  crime  they  would  have  arrested 
the  criminal  at  once,  but  that  this  arrest  now 
belonged  to  the  Bannocks. 

The  Bannocks  feigned  acquiescence  and  started 
off  as  if  to  make  the  arrest  of  the  guilty  Indian, 
but  when  night  came  the  pursuers  returned  with 
out  Nam-pe-yo-go.  They  said  he  had  escaped  to 
join  his  father  and  brothers  far  beyond  the  Snake 
River. 

It  was  plain  enough  that  the  Bannocks  were 
hostile.  They  had  armed  themselves  well  and  sup 
plied  their  band  with  tough  ponies,  possessing 
great  endurance,  and  well  trained  for  actual  use. 
But  Nam-pe-yo-go  did  not  escape.  White  men  in 
the  vicinity  found  him,  and  he  was  tried,  con 
demned,  and  executed  with  extraordinary  dis 
patch. 

General  John  E.  Smith,  who  commanded  one  of 
my  divisions  in  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  was  a 
thorough  soldier,  stationed  at  Fort  Douglas.  He 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  373 

had  charge  of  that  district.  At  dawn  on  the  16th 
of  January,  1878,  his  troops  surrounded  two  Ban 
nock  villages  which  were  evidently  preparing  for 
conflict.  Though  the  Indians  were  armed,  both 
villages  were  surprised  and  captured,  and  upwards 
of  fifty  warriors  and  three  hundred  ponies  were 
escorted  to  the  agency.  The  father  and  two 
brothers  of  Nam-pe-yo-go  were  sent  to  the  garrison 
for  detention.  The  remainder,  after  General 
Smith  had  given  them  good  counsel,  were  allowed 
their  liberty,  but  their  ponies  and  their  rifles  were 
kept  for  them.  Again  the  Bannocks  feigned  ac 
quiescence,  but  at  heart  were  angry  enough  and 
vexed  at  the  loss  of  their  mounts  and  weapons. 
They  had  all-night  talks  among  themselves  and 
were  constantly  hatching  plans  for  revenge. 

As  soon  as  spring  had  produced  abundant 
grass  for  animals  the  Bannocks  one  dark  night 
fled  from  the  reservation.  Many  of  them  had  put 
in  their  crops,  but  even  these  were  abandoned  to 
their  Shoshone  rivals. 

These  wild  Bannock  warriors  shrewdly  and 
secretly  negotiated  with  other  and  even  distant 
tribes  of  Indians.  They  took  advantage  of  a  dis 
content  which  they  found  quite  extensive  in  the 
Department  of  the  Columbia,  and  sent  delegates 
to  the  malcontents.  The  Pi-Utes  gave  them  the 
most  abundant  sympathy  and  aid,  and  were  their 
first  allies. 

There  is  a  strange  story,  a  very  old  Indian 
legend,  told  by  Sarah  Winnemucca,  daughter  of 
the  Pi-Ute  chief  Winnemucca,  to  the  effect  that 
there  was  a  set  of  cannibals  who  occupied  the 


374  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Humboldt  River  country  at  the  time  the  Pi-Utes 
were  living  by  Mud  Lake  in  Nevada.  The  canni 
bals  laid  ambuscades  for  the  Pi-Utes  and  other 
more  civilized  Indians,  and  killed  and  ate  them. 
Of  course  this  provoked  wars,  in  which  the  canni 
bals  were  as  fierce  and  reckless  as  were  the  follow 
ers  of  the  Mahdi.  Sarah's  ancestors  at  last  made 
effective  war  upon  them,  killed  large  numbers,  and 
drove  the  remnant  into  the  thick  forest  north  of 
Humboldt  Lake.  They  then  set  fire  to  the  forest, 
but  the  cannibals  rushed  from  the  flames  to  their 
bulrush  boats  and  succeeded  in  making  a  landing 
on  the  eastern  border  of  the  lake,  and  sought 
refuge  in  a  large  cave  not  far  off.  The  Pi-Utes 
followed  them  and  set  a  watch  at  the  mouth  of  the 
cave. 

As  it  took  too  long  to  starve  them  out  the  Pi- 
Utes  began  to  pile  up  wood  at  the  entrance  to  the 
cave,  while  the  cannibals  withdrew  farther  and 
farther  within  it.  Then  suddenly  the  Pi-Utes  set 
fire  to  the  wood  and  made  an  oven  of  the  cave,  and 
the  last  remnant  of  this  ferocious  tribe  was  de 
stroyed.  Such  is  the  legend. 

There  was  something  remarkable  about  the  Pi- 
Utes.  When  the  white  men  began  to  cross  their 
country  they  enjoyed  being  at  peace  with  them,  but 
little  by  little  their  extensive  possessions  were 
diminished  as  the  wiiite  settlements  increased. 
The  lakes  from  which  they  took  fish  in  abundance 
were  claimed  by  frontier  occupants  of  the  good 
land,  and  their  hunting  grounds  were  circum 
scribed  and  at  last  taken  from  them.  One  writer 
says  of  them:  "  They  are  quite  harmless  and  sub- 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  375 

sist  upon  fish,  game,  roots,  and  the  like.  They 
show  some  disposition  to  be  industrious. "  The 
same  article  calls  them  "  a  tribe  of  degraded  In 
dians  of  the  Shoshone  stock."  Neither  descrip 
tion  is  fair. 

I  may  say  of  them  that,  as  a  rule,  they  have 
shown  a  love  of  peace  and  exhibited  good  qualities. 
Both  men  and  women  have  been  willing  to  work 
and  often  made  great  progress  in  imitating  their 
civilized  neighbors.  Under  advisement  they  opened 
an  acequia  (irrigating  ditch)  near  the  railroad  on 
the  Pyramid  Lake  reservation  and  by  hard  labor 
extended  it  a  mile.  They  had  a  flume  and  power 
to  propel  a  saw  and  gristmill,  which  had  been 
promised  them  by  the  agents  of  the  government, 
but.  the  saw  and  gristmill  never  came,  and  the 
lumber  for  houses  was  never  sent.  The  acequia 
became  lost  to  them  and  is  now  used  by  Anglo- 
Saxons  for  purposes  of  irrigation. 

Again,  in  1865  a  cry 'arose  among  the  white 
settlers  around  Harney  Lake  that  the  Indians  had 
stolen  some  of  their  cattle.  That  might  have  been 
true,  but  the  Pi-Utes  were  not  the  Indians  en 
gaged  in  the  theft.  Chief  Winnemucca's  tribe  was 
at  that  time  far  away  in  Nevada.  Many  were  at 
Mud  Lake  fishing.  A  detachment  of  soldiers  were 
sent  over  there  from  Camp  Harney  to  answer  the 
settlers'  cry.  They  came  suddenly  upon  these 
peaceful  Indians  in  Nevada,  fired  straight  into 
their  camp  and  killed  old  men,  wromen,  and  chil 
dren.  Chief  Winnemucca  and  his  young  men 
were,  fortunately  for  the  future  of  the  tribe,  away 
on  a  hunting  expedition. 


376  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

After  this  terrible  catastrophe,  whoever  was  to 
be  blamed,  it  is  not  at  all  strange  that  the  Pi-Utes 
became  apprehensive  and  suspicious.  They  were 
indeed  ignorant  and  full  of  superstition,  so  that 
when  some  to  oat  arose  and  made  predictions  many 
were  ready  to  listen.  A  favorite  idea,  similar  to 
the  "  Messiah  craze,"  carried  by  these  Dreamers 
from  tribe  to  tribe  all  through  the  Northwest 
country,  was  that  there  would  soon  be  a  resurrec 
tion  of  Indians.  All  the  whites  were  to  be  killed, 
and  the  Indians'  wrongs  would  then  be  righted. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

PREPARATIONS  FOR  ANOTHER  CAMPAIGN  —  OPENING  OF  THE 
PI-UTE  AND  BANNOCK  WAR. 

The  Noted  Pi-Ute  Chief  Egan  —  An  Indian  Princess  and  Her  Interesting 
History  —  An  Anxious  Night  in  Camp  —  Some  Wakeful  Hours  — 
Fresh  Troubles  with  the  Bannocks  —  The  Discontented  Pi-Utes  — 
The  Promised  Resurrection  of  Indians  —  Anticipating  an  Outbreak 
-The  Lava  Beds  of  the  Modocs  —  A  Desolate  and  Sterile  Region 
—  An  Ideal  Place  for  Ambush  —  Preparations  for  Another  Cam 
paign  —  Constant  Murders  and  Outrages  —  Weakening  an  Indian's 
Courage  —  Terrified  and  Fleeing  Settlers  —  The  Wary  Chief  Buffalo 
Horn  —  "  Pi-Ute  Joe  "  —  An  Indian  Woman's  Loyal  Service. 

AFTER  the  close  of  several  conflicts  inaug 
urated  by  a  massacre  in  one  of  Chief 
Winnemucca  's  tribes  in  Nevada,  another 
band  of  Pi-Utes,  led  by  an  able  chief,  Egan,  was 
brought  upon  a  fairly  good  reserve  of  public  land 
not  far  from  Harney  Lake.  It  was  named  "  The 
Malheur  Reservation."  It  was  here,  in  the  sum 
mer  of  1876,  while  on  a  tour  of  inspection,  that 
I  first  met  the  Pi-Utes.  At  that  time  they  had 
a  favorite  agent,  Mr.  Sam  Parish ;  and  Sarah  Win 
nemucca,  sometimes  called  the  Indian  Princess, 
daughter  of  the  Pi-Ute  chief  Winnemucca,  was 
their  interpreter.  I  had  long  before  heard  some 
thing  of  her  history.  She  spoke  English  perfectly, 
was  very  neat  and  tidy  in  her  dress,  and  at  that 
time  maintained  an  air  of  great  self-respect. 

During  the  night,  as  I  had  no  guard  or  escort, 
and  in  fact  nobody  with  me  except  my  aide-de 
camp,  Captain  Sladen,  and  my  daughter  Grace, 


378  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

who  had  then  recently  returned  to.  our  home  at 
Portland,  Oregon,  from  Vassar  College,  and  was 
accompanying  me  on  this  tour,  I  felt  no  little  anx 
iety  about  the  situation.  This  anxiety  was  in 
creased  when  the  Indians  assembled  and  held  a 
council,  accompanied  with  singing,  beating  of  tom 
toms,  and  dancing  through  the  whole  night,  so  that 
I  spent  many  wakeful  hours.  However,  they 
appeared  to  be  contented  with  their  agent  at  that 
time,  and  the  tooat  was  not  predicting  an  immed 
iate  resurrection. 

Soon  after  this  a  new  agent,  a  Mr.  Khinehart, 
was  sent  to  the  "  Malheur  "  by  the  Indian  bureau. 
The  Indians  were  intensely  opposed  to  the  change, 
for  they  loved  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parish  and  had  begged 
for  their  retention.  Rhinehart  was  a  political  ap 
pointee.  In  giving  the  causes  of  the  trouble  that 
followed,  he  said  that  the  Bannocks  had  been  there 
as  delegates  some  time  before;  that  they  were 
particularly  angry  because  some  of  their  horses 
had  been  taken  from  them,  and  because  of  a  story 
spread  among  them  that  all  Indian  horses  and 
ponies  were  to  be  seized  and  given  to  the  soldiers. 
Sarah  Winnemucca  gave  an  account  of  this  affair. 
She  said:  "Some  Indians  of  Bannock  Jack's 
band  had  got  drunk  and  shot  two  white  men.  One 
of  these  Indians  had  a  sister  who,  with  other 
wromen,  was  digging  some  roots,  and  these  white 
men  had  caught  this  poor  girl  and  abused  her. 
The  other  women  had  run  away  and  left  her  to  the 
mercy  of  these  brutes,  and  it  was  on  her  account 
that  her  brother  and  others  had  shot  them. "  That 
was  the  Indians'  version. 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  379 

It  was  while  these  Pi-Utes  were  in  a  state  of 
unrest  and  extreme  discontent  that  the  Bannock 
messengers  had  come  among  them.  The  outbreak 
seemed  so  extensive  that  the  old  tooats  suddenly 
had  a  new  inspiration  to  the  effect  that  the  time 
was  at  hand  for  the  great,  long-promised  resurrec 
tion  of  Indians.  This  news  was  carried  from  tribe 
to  tribe.  With  some  reluctance  the  great  majority 
of  the  Pi-Utes  decided  to  join  the  Bannocks  and 
other  discontented  spirits  and  make  common  cause 
with  them,  because  surely,  if  combined,  they  could 
defeat  all  the  white  troops  and  destroy  all  the 
troublesome  white  people  in  that  part  of  the  North 
west. 

I  will  now  develop  the  campaign  of  1878  which 
followed ;  it  was  my  last  active  one  in  the  field :  I 
very  early  learned,  by  corresponding  with  various 
Indian  agencies,  that  Indians  who  were  friendly 
were  cooperating  and  giving  unmistakable  signs  of 
danger  at  hand.  These  statements  were  made  by 
white  men  who  were  living  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
plotting  warriors,  and  were  often  exaggerated.  I 
was  anticipating  an  outbreak,  expecting  it  from 
the  Columbia  renegades  who  had  escaped  from 
their  reservation  and  were  causing  a  constant  fer 
ment  among  the  scattered  white  settlements.  The 
declared  policy  of  the  Indian  department,  which 
was  to  put  every  one  of  them  on  some  reservation, 
was  everywhere  resisted.  The  Indians  were  evi 
dently  waiting  for  me  to  send  troops  against  them, 
which  would  give  them  a  pretext  for  carrying  out 
their  war  policy.  Then  they  would  strike,  begin 
ning,  as  usual,  to  kill  white  settlers. 

23 


380  MY  LITE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

The  stockmen  who  pastured  their  horses  and 
cattle  upon  the  public  domain  made  at  this  time 
unending  complaints  against  the  Indians;  their 
stallions  were  found  among  the  Indian  herds,  some 
of  their  cattle  and  horses  were  lost,  and  so  on.  In 
the  fullness  of  time  a  terrible  war  began,  but  not 
on  the  Columbia,  where  I  had  predicted  it  would 
occur. 

On  June  2d,  my  commander  at  Boise  said: 
"  Bannock  Indians  have  been  making  serious 
threats  and  ordering  settlers  off  Big  Camas 
Prairie.  A  man  from  there  this  evening  reports 
two  settlers  shot  by  Indians  this  morning,  both 
wounded,  ninety  miles  to  where  Indians  are  camped 
between  Big  Camas  and  Snake  River  in  the  Lava 
Beds.  Number  of  hostiles  two  hundred,  well 
armed  and  supplied  with  ammunition;  settlers 
counted  sixty  lodges,  and  twenty  more  with  Buffalo 
Horn  who  has  just  joined  them." 

At  this  time  there  was  a  daily  stage  line  run 
ning  from  Fort  Hall  to  Boise.  It  will  be  remem 
bered  that  previous  to  this  time  the  Modocs  had 
chosen  the  Lava  Beds  for  the  scene  of  General 
Canby's  massacre,  and  Joseph,  in  1877,  had  found 
the  place  favorable  to  his  boldest  plan.  So,  doubt 
less,  Buffalo  Horn,  following  suit,  had  placed  his 
lodges  among  the  Lava  Beds  to  favor  his  campaign 
already  begun.  It  was  a  desolate  and  sterile  re 
gion,  the  "beds"  being  simply  knolls  of  igneous 
rocks,  upon  which  debris  and  drift  had  gradually 
formed  a  soddy  loam,  and  the  surface  was  grown 
over  with  briers  and  bushes.  The  knolls  were  scat 
tered  here  and  there  without  regularity,  alternat- 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  381 

ing  with  spaces  of  prairie  grass  land.  There  is 
such  sameness  of  surface  that  it  is  difficult  to  find 
one's  way,  and  people  are  lost  easier  than  in  the 
forests.  Still,  the  region  is  well  adapted  for  In 
dian  tactics  in  war  time,  because  all  trails  disap 
pear,  and  the  knolls  are  favorable  to  ambush,  where 
Indians  may  lie  perfectly  concealed  until  their 
enemy  is  within  good  range  of  their  rifles. 

On  the  last  day  of  May,  1878, 1  sat  in  my  house 
at  Portland,  Oregon,  amid  my  family,  when  tele 
grams  came  pouring  in  saying  in  substance:  "An 
Indian  war  is  upon  us ;  come,  we  entreat  you ;  come 
to  our  help ! '  I  said  to  my  wife :  "  Is  it  possible 
that  we  must  go  through  another  such  ordeal  as 
that  of  last  year?  "  I  referred  to  the  Nez  Perce 
war. 

A  soldier's  self -conflict  is  not  much  prolonged. 
A  moment  later  the  proper  spirit  of  decision  came, 
and  within  an  hour  the  troops  of  my  department  at 
the  various  posts,  hundreds  of  miles  apart,  were 
holding  themselves  in  readiness  to  go  by  water,  by 
rail,  or  by  marching,  toward  the  scene  of  strife. 

The  governor  of  Idaho  sent  this  dispatch  the 
2d  of  June:  "  The  right  to  Big  Camas  Prairie 
evidently  the  cause.  Sheriff  Hays  informs  me  that 
one  hundred  and  fifty  Indians  are  in  Jordan  Val 
ley;  King  Hill  Station,  overland  (stage)  road, 
raided;  horses  carried  off." 

Captain  Reuben  F.  Bernard,  a  soldier  of  ex 
perience  and  ability,  with  his  troop  of  fifty  cavalry 
men,  was  the  first  to  reach  the  prairie.  He  found 
two  herders  wounded.  They  were  shot  while  in 
their  tent  by  two  Indians  without  apparent  cause 


382  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

or  provocation.  The  Indians  then  robbed  the  place 
of  everything  valuable  and  drove  off  thirty  horses. 
There  were  signs  that  many  warriors  had  com 
bined  for  murder  and  plunder. 

When  Bernard  had  gone  a  little  farther  he  dis 
covered  that  the  Indians  had  abandoned  their 
camps  and  fled,  evidently  not  being  quite  ready  to 
meet  his  troop.  A  surprise  is  apt  to  weaken  an 
Indian's  courage  even  more  than  that  of  a  white 
man.  Captain  Bernard  now  pressed  on  to  the 
eastern  portion  of  Big  Camas  Prairie  and  came 
into  the  lava  country,  where  he  deemed  it  too  dan 
gerous  to  operate  with  a  single  cavalry  troop.  He 
turned  to  the  stage  road.  At  King  Hill  Station  ten 
more  horses  had  been  stolen  by  the  Indians.  After 
this  theft,  the  Bannocks  for  some  reason  abandoned 
the  Lava  Beds  and  crossed  over  the  Snake  River 
southward  at  Glen's  Ferry,  where  they  robbed  a 
store  and  house,  turned  the  ferryboats  loose,  took 
everything  they  could  carry  off  from  some  freight 
wagons,  and  stole  all  the  horses  in  the  region  far 
and  near,  in  stable  or  pasture,  which  they  could 
find.  Farmers,  terrified  by  the  first  rumors,  had 
quickly  abandoned  their  homes,  and  fled  to  the 
larger  settlements,  where  they  set  up  defensive 
barricades.  Our  soldiers  found  the  body  of  a 
stranger  who  had  been  killed  and  thrown  into  the 
river ;  several  well-known  persons,  then  away  from 
home,  never  returned. 

A  few  Pi-Ute  and  Columbia  River  Indians  were 
present  with  the  Bannocks  before  the  first  blow 
wras  struck ;  the  Lemhi  agency  supplied  some,  and 
a  few  came  from  elsewhere.  An  offensive  league 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  383 

had  been  formed  among  these  Indians,  and  the 
agreement  was  to  move  in  such  a  way  as  to  get  the 
most  plunder  possible,  gradually  passing  from  tribe 
to  tribe  in  a  large  circuit,  and  by  working  westward 
they  hoped  to  increase  their  forces,  like  a  snowball 
that  increases  in  size  as  it  rolls.  They  especially 
needed  to  increase  their  supply  of  horses.  By 
carrying  out  this  plan  the  Indian  force  would  soon 
be  so  large  that  it  could  cope  with  all  my  troops. 
Such  was  the  Indian  hope  and  expectation. 

Bernard  wrote  me :  "  This  is  the  strongest  out 
break  I  have  ever  known.  They  give  no  reasons 
of  any  kind  for  their  actions,  except  the  Bannocks, 
who  make  objections  to  white  men  coming  on  Big 
Camas  Prairie  with  stock." 

All  our  Indian  friends  in  the  East  wanted  us 
to  have  "  talks  "  and  try  to  settle  difficulties  with 
out  war.  But  I  knew  from  experience  that  when 
ever  our  officers  had  in  the  past  attempted  to  parley 
after  hostilities  had  once  begun,— and  they  had 
often  tried  it,— the  attempt  had  never  been  success 
ful.  Indians  laughed  at  such  efforts  and  attributed 
them  to  weakness.  I  believed  it  was  too  late  to 
attempt  a  council.  There  were  many  valleys  lead 
ing  to  that  of  the  crooked  Snake  Eiver,  and  the 
Indians  sped  on  from  one  of  these  valleys  to  an 
other,  killing  and  destroying  as  they  went. 

Captain  Patrick  Collins  of  the  Twenty-first  In 
fantry,  mounting  his  small  company  at  Boise,  suc 
ceeded  in  joining  Bernard  near  a  big  bend  of  the 
Snake  River.  On  the  way  he  found  Bruneau  Val 
ley  fortified.  One  man  had  been  killed;  cattle, 
horses,  and  mules  had  been  stolen  and  driven  off. 


384  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

On  the  5th  of  June,  Collins  joined  Bernard,  turned 
over  his  force  to  him,  and  returned  to  Fort  Boise. 
Bernard,  thus  strengthened,  crossed  the  broad  and 
swift  current  of  the  Snake  River,  took  the  trail  of 
the  raiders,  and  by  marching  most  of  the  night 
reached  a  spot  in  the  morning  where  the  white  set 
tlers  had  assembled  and  protected  themselves  by  a 
unique  fort, — a  sort  of  stockade.  He  escorted  these 
settlers  to  a  larger  and  safer  settlement. 

In  addition  to  Collins '  company  Bernard  had 
gathered  some  citizen  scouts,  mounted  upon  fresh 
horses,  and  placed  them  under  an  experienced 
frontiersman  by  the  name  of  Bobbins.  Bernard 
instructed  them  to  push  ahead  in  pursuit,  ascertain 
where  the  Indians  were,  and  let  him  know.  By 
the  8th  of  June  the  scouts  had  succeeded  in  locat 
ing  the  hostiles'  bivouac  not  far  from  Battle  Creek. 

As  Bernard  thus  watched  the  Indians  and  pro 
tected  the  citizens,  Buffalo  Horn  became  very  wary 
and  endeavored  to  avoid  battle  with  him.  But  that 
very  day,  in  the  afternoon,  a  small  company  of 
volunteers  hurried  up  from  another  direction,  com 
ing  from  Silver  City  toward  Battle  Creek.  They 
succeeded  in  heading  off  Buffalo  Horn,  who  had 
with  him  at  the  time  about  sixty  Bannocks.  The 
women  and  children  had  taken  another  route.  The 
place  was  seven  miles  from  a  small  village  called 
South  Mountain.  The  Indians  at  once  attacked 
the  volunteers  with  fury,  killed  four  white  men 
and  two  friendly  Pi-Utes,  and  wounded  another. 

Pi-Ute  Joe,  a  scout  who  went  out  with  the  vol-' 
unteers,  gave  an  account  of  this  engagement  which 
was  slightly  different  from  theirs.  He  said  that  the 


DISMOUNTED    UNITED   STATES   CAVALRY    REPULSING    MOUNTED   WARRIORS. 


UNITED   STATES   TROOPS   AND   SCOUTS   SURPRISING   A   BODY   OF   INDIANS. 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  387 

two  Pi-Utes  who  were  killed  were  guides  conduct 
ing  the  volunteers  to  South  Mountain,  where  they 
proposed  to  annihilate  the  Bannocks,  and  that  the 
volunteers  ran  off  at  the  first  fire,  leaving  behind 
the  poor  old  schoolmaster  of  Silver  City,  who  had 
joined  them.  He  had  been  badly  wounded  by  the 
savages,  and  being  angered  by  their  desertion  he 
cursed  his  retreating  friends  while  he  was  bleeding 
to  death.  Pi-Ute  Joe  further  stated  that  he  him 
self  had  killed  Buffalo  Horn;  that  the  fall  of  their 
leader  had  checked  the  Indians  so  that  he,  having 
a  swift  horse,  succeeded  in  escaping. 

I  was  not  able  thoroughly  to  verify  the  story 
about  the  volunteers,  but  Buffalo  Horn  did  fall 
in  that  skirmish  at  South  Mountain,  and  after  his 
death  the  hostiles  pushed  on  as  fast  as  they  could 
with  a  view  of  joining  the  Malheur  Pi-Utes  at  the 
Juniper  or  Stein's  Mountains. 

Sarah  Winnemucca  left  the  agency  when  her 
friend  Sam  Parish  ceased  to  be  agent.  At  the  time 
of  the  Bannock  outbreak  a  man  by  the  name  of 
Morton  had  hired  Sarah  to  drive  him  and  his 
daughter  in  her  wagon  from  the  John  Day  Valley 
in  Oregon  to  Silver  City,  Idaho.  She  was  making 
that  journey  when,  on  the  llth  of  June,  she  met 
some  volunteers  and  Pi-Ute  Joe  at  Fort  Lyon,  an 
old  abandoned  army  post,  then  a  station  on  the 
stage  line.  The  next  day,  with  Pi-Ute  Joe,  she 
went  on  to  another  station  called  Sheep  Ranch. 
I  arrived  at  Boise  that  day  and  received  Bernard's 
report.  The  Indians  had  gone  toward  the  Juniper 
Mountains.  They  had  captured  the  stage  bringing 
military  supplies  from  the  railroad,  seized  two 


388  MY  LITE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

boxes  of  Winchester  rifles  and  much  ammunition, 
and  had  besides  their  mounts  four  hundred  horses 
in  a  herd.  This  band  numbered  sixty  warriors. 
He  added  to  his  report:  "  Sarah  Winnemucca  is 
in  my  camp ;  she  wants  to  go  to  her  people  with  any 
message  you  or  General  McDowell  might  desire  to 
send ;  thinks  if  she  can  get  to  the  Pi-Utes  with  such 
message  she  could  get  all  the  well-disposed  to  come 
near  the  troops,  where  they  could  be  safe  and  fed ; 
says  there  is  nothing  at  the  Malheur  agency  with 
which  to  feed  them." 

I  answered:  "  Send  Sarah  with  two  or  three 
friendly  Indians  straight  to  her  people,  and  have 
them  send  a  few  of  their  principal  men  to  you.  I 
will  see  that  all  who  behave  well  and  come  in  are 
properly  fed.  Promise  Sarah  a  reward  if  she 
succeeds. " 

Sarah,  on  horseback,  with  two  friendly  Pi- 
Utes,  immediately  set  out  from  Sheep  Ranch  in  the 
direction  of  Stein's  Mountains,  a  distance  of  over 
one  hundred  miles  through  the  roughest  part  of 
Idaho. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

IN  ACTIVE   FIELD   SERVICE  AGAIN  — SARAH  WINNEMUCCA'S 

REMARKABLE  RIDE  —  NEARING  THE  INDIAN 

STRONGHOLD. 

Planning  the  Campaign  —  Active  Field  Service  —  Sarah  Winnemucca's 
Ride  —  The  Story  She  Brought  —  Fresh  From  the  Hostile  Camp  — 
Incidents  of  Sarah's  Remarkable  Journey  —  Scenes  Along  a  Bloody 
Trail  —  "Who  Are  You?"  —  Climbing  Steep  and  Rocky  Moun 
tains  on  Hands  and  Knees  —  "  Oh,  Sarah,  You  Have  Come  to  Save 
Us !  "  —  An  Old  Indian  Chief's  Advice  —  Escaping  from  the  Hostile 
Camp  —  Followed  by  the  Bannocks  —  Some  Brave  Women  and 
their  Escort  —  A  Strong  Force  of  Indian  Warriors. 

IN  suppressing  Indian  outbreaks  a  commander  is 
apt  to  be  impatient;  he  chafes  at  exaggerated 
and  sometimes  conflicting  reports  as  they  pour 
in  from  every  quarter.  But  the  experience  of  the 
Ouster  massacre  and  of  the  Nez  Perce  war  had 
taught  me  never  to  send  out,  if  I  could  possibly 
avoid  it,  an  inadequate  force  against  Indians  after 
they  had  had  time  to  get  ready. 

As  the  troops  were  hastening  forward,  a  fron 
tier  garrison  at  Camp  Harney  dispatched  Mc 
Gregor's  troop  of  cavalry  and  Downey's  company 
of  infantry.  With  many  misgivings  they  left  but 
a  small  guard  at  Harney  to  protect  their  women 
and  children.  At  the  same  time,  and  from  all  di 
rections,  other  detachments  were  hurrying  to  the 
scenes  of  disturbance  by  water  and  by  overland 
roads  from  California. 

Now,  to  follow  my  own  course,  the'  reader  will 
find  me  on  the  9th  of  June  consulting  with  Colonel 


390  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Frank  Wheaton  and  Colonel  Cuvier  Grover  at 
Walla  Walla.  Wheaton  had  come  from  Lapwai 
to  meet  me,  and  Grover  had  been  in  command  at 
Walla  Walla.  I  ordered  the  latter  at  once  to  Boise 
to  take  charge  of  everything  in  that  vicinity  and 
keep  me  informed  of  important  matters  by  tele 
graph.  Wheaton  was  to  take  up  his  station  at 
Walla  Walla  and  guard  the  home  district  with 
small  reserves,  while  the  rest  of  us  were  endeavor 
ing  by  active  field  service  to  arrest  the  depredators 
in  Idaho  and  southern  Oregon.  I  promised  to 
speedily  beat  them  in  battle  or  take  them  as  cap 
tives. 

Pushing  on  with  my  staff  officers,  Major  E.  C. 
Mason  and  Lieutenants  Wilkinson  and  Wood,  I 
arrived  in  Boise  on  the  morning  of  June  12th,  just 
in  time,  fortunately,  to  render  Sarah  Winne- 
mucca's  expedition  effective. 

A  brief  dispatch  to  General  McDowell  at  San 
Francisco  from  myself  will  indicate  the  plan  I  had 
in  mind:  " Arrived  here  this  morning;  sent  force 
under  Grover,  including  Major  Sanford  with  cav 
alry  (coming  from  Kelton),  to  clear  up  scattering 
Indians,  eastward  toward  Fort  Hall.  Please  ask 
commanding  officer  Fort  Hall  to  work  toward 
Grover,  to  detain  the  Bannock  families  reported 
going  to  Hall,  particularly  relatives  of  those  on 
war-path.  I  am  concentrating  other  troops  against 
Bannocks  and  Malheurs  at  Sheep  Eanch,  six  miles 
from  O-wy-hee  Ferry  on  Winnemucca  stage  road, 
taking  charge  of  this  column  myself." 

At  that'  time  companies  coming  from  Walla 
Walla  and  farther  west, — cavalry,  artillery,  and 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  391 

infantry,— were  marching  through  stifling  clouds 
of  dust  along  the  Baker  wagon  road,  aiming  for 
Sheep  Ranch.  I  supposed  that  the  force  sent  from 
Camp  Harney  was  then  somewhere  near  us. 

As  soon  as  my  work  at  Boise  was  in  operation  I 
hurried  down  the  stage  road  and  reached  Sheep 
Ranch  on  the  14th  of  June.  The  next  day,  while 
waiting  for  the  scattered  companies  to  come  to 
gether,  I  was  sitting  with  Captain  Bernard  at  about 
5.30  in  the  afternoon,  in  a  little  room  at  the  stage 
station,  when  a  mounted  party  was  reported  in 
sight.  It  proved  to  be  Sarah  Winnemucca  and  her 
companions.  She  was  well  in  advance  of  the  party 
and  riding  very  rapidly.  Hastily  dismounting  she 
burst  into  tears  and  was  so  fatigued  and  excited 
that  for  some  time  she  could  hardly  speak.  As 
soon  as  she  was  sufficiently  recovered  to  talk  intel 
ligently,  Bernard,  Wood,  and  Pitcher  being  pres 
ent  writh  me,  I  received  her  account  of  her  remark 
able  journey;  she  had  ridden  over  two  hundred 
miles  and  met  with  some  thrilling  experiences. 
My  comrades  thought  her  statements  at  the  time 
were  exaggerated,  but  I  had  sufficient  confidence 
in  her  story  to  change  my  whole  plan  of  movement 
—a  change  which  afterwards  proved  to  be  for  the 
best. 

Sarah  'had  ridden  to  the  hostile  camp  and 
brought  out  her  father  and  brother.  Others  fol 
lowed  them,  but  were  pursued,  overtaken,  and 
forced  to  go  back.  She  heard  firing,  and  feared 
that  her  brother  Lee  was  killed.  Natchez,  another 
brother,  aided  the  white  men  to  escape  from  the 
camp  and  went  with  them.  Oytes,  the  Pi-Ute 


392  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Dreamer,  and  Egan,  the  chief,  with  their  bands, 
were  still  detained,  although  arms  and  plunder 
were  offered  and  threats  and  coercion  made  to 
induce  them  to  join  the  hostiles.  She  located  the 
camp  near  Juniper  Lake,  just  north  of  Stein's 
Mountains,  giving  the  number  of  Indians  at  about 
seven  hundred.  She  brought  her  sister-in-law 
Mattie  with  her,  and  implored  help  for  her  father, 
whom  she  had  left  "behind  with  a  few  men  and  guns 
guarding  fugitive  women  and  children. 

Sarah  said:  "  We  (Sarah,  and  the  Indians— 
i.  e.,  George  and  John,  Pi-Utes),  followed  the  trail 
down  the  O-wy-hee  as  much  as  fifteen  miles,  and 
then  we  came  to  where  they  (the  hostile  Bannocks) 
had  camped,  and  where  they  had  been  weeping 
and  cutting  their  hair,  so  \ve  knew  that  Buffalo 
Horn,  their  chief,  had  been  killed."  She  saw  ar 
ticles  of  clothing  and  numerous  beads  broken  from 
their  strings  and  strewn  around.  They  found  on 
the  trail  the  whip  of  the  stage  driver,  who  was 
killed,  and  other  articles  from  time  to  time  which 
made  the  trail  over  the  rocky  beds  easier  to  follow. 
She  and  her  friends  paused  for  the  briefest  rest 
at  Mr.  G.  B.  Crawley's  farm.  Everything  com 
bustible  had  been  burned;  the  fire  was  still  smol 
dering  and  fresh  human  tracks  were  everywhere. 

Having  rested,  they  followed  the  freshest  of 
several  branching  trails,  which  led  them  straight 
toward  Stein's  Mountains.  That  day  they  picked 
up  a  clock  and  a  fiddle  on  the  road.  Pi-Ute  Joe 
shot  a  mountain  sheep,  some  strips  of  which  were 
added  to  their  supplies ;  now  they  were  near  Juni 
per  Lake ;  then  five  miles  farther  on  they  caught  a 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  393 

glimpse  of  two  people  on  the  slope  of  the  mountain 
dressed  like  Indians.  Sarah's  account  of  this 
meeting  is  pathetic:  "As  we  came  nearer  to  them 
I  said  to  Pi-Ute  George,  '  Call  to  them! '  He  did 
so.  I  saw  them  rise  to  their  feet;  I  waved  my 
handkerchief  at  them,  as  I  had  done  before,  and 
one  of  them  cried,  '  Who  are  you  ?  ' 

"I  said,  '  Your  sister,  Sarah.'  It  was  my 
brother,  Lee  Winnemucca,  who  had  spoken.  Com 
ing  nearer  Lee  said,  '  Oh,  dear  sister,  you  have 
come  to  save  us,  for  our  people  are  all  prisoners  of 
the  Bannocks ! ' 

Her  brother  told  her  that  her  father  had  been 
badly  treated;  that  his  friends  had  been  stripped 
of  their  guns,  horses,  and  blankets,  and  that  there 
was  great  danger  ahead  for  Sarah  and  her  com 
panions,  "because,"  said  Lee,  "they  will  surely 
kill  you  as  they  have  threatened  to  kill  every  one 
who  comes  with  messages  from  the  white  people ; 
for  they  say  Indians  who  bring  messages  are  en 
emies.  Every  night  they  repeat  these  threats." 

Sarah  was  not  intimidated.  Up  to  this  time 
she  and  her  companions  had  been  dressed  like  white 
people,  but  they  now  changed  to  Indians  dress, 
effecting  the  transformation  by  using  blankets 
and  putting  on  war  paint,  as  they  knew  well 
how  to  do;  then,  still  keeping  together,  they 
went  on  and  joined  the  grand  encampment  be 
yond  Stein's  Mountains.  "The  mountain  we 
had  to  go  over  was  rocky  and  steep,"  said 
Sarah.  "  Sometimes  it  was  very  hard  to  climb 
on  our  hands  and  knees,  but  at  last  we  were  up 
there  and  looked  down  into  a  great  hostile  assem- 


394  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

bly.    It  was  a  sight  to  see.    It  was  beautiful ;  over 
three  hundred  lodges  and  four  hundred  and  fifty 


warriors. ' 


A  little  later  Sarah  succeeded  in  working  her 
way  into  the  hostile  Bannock  camp,  and  then  into 
her  father's  lodge,  where  she  found  several  Pi-Ute 
men  and  women.  "  Every  one  in  that  lodge  whis 
pered,  '  Oh,  Sarah,  you  have  come  to  save  us ! ' 

By  concerted  action  some  seventy-five  stealthily 
crept  out  of  camp  in  the  night.  When  they  were 
well  on  the  way  they  heard  a  horse  behind  them. 
"  We  lay  close  to  the  ground,"  said  Sarah,  "  and 
the  horse  came  up  to  us  and  stopped.  Oh,  how  my 
heart  did  beat!  He  stood  still  until  some  one 
whistled,  and  the  whistler  cried  out,  '  Where  is  my 
father?  '  The  horse's  rider  proved  to  be  Mattie, 
Lee  Winnemucca  's  wife. 

After  that  Sarah  and  Mattie  rode  and  tented 
together  during  the  entire  campaign.  Lee,  being 
with  the  party,  turned  back  to  get  more  Pi-Utes, 
and  to  act  for  them  as  a  scout  and  guard.  The  old 
chief  said:  "  Ride  two  and  two!  Keep  close  to 
gether.  Men,  look  after  your  wives  and  children! 
Six  men  keep  well  back  for  fear  we  may  be  fol 
lowed!" 

Thus  Chief  Winnemucca 's  family  and  friends 
escaped  from  the  hostile  camp  and  rode  for  six 
hours,  reaching  Summit  Springs  at  the  break  of 
day.  While  stopping  there  for  rest  and  food,  one 
of  their  rear  guard  came  riding  furiously  toward 
them.  "  We  are  followed  by  the  Bannocks!  "  he 
cried.  "  I  saw  Lee  running  and  they  fired  at  him. 
I  think  he  is  killed." 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  895 

Winnemucca 's  party,  thus  warned,  mounted  at 
once  and  rushed  on  again,  tired  as  they  were.  But 
Sarah,  finding  her  friends  too  slow  to  suit  her  im 
patient  spirit,  took  Mattie  and  two  Indians  and 
said  to  her  father: 

66  Come,  father,  give  me  your  orders,  for  I  am 
going  forward  to  the  troops.  What  shall  I  tell 
G  eneral  Ploward  ?  I  am  going  to  where  he  is  this 
very  day." 

Winnemucca  answered:  "  Tell  General  How 
ard  to  send  his  soldiers  to  protect  me  and  my 
people."  With  this  message  these  brave  women 
and  their  escort  sped  on  to  Sheep  Ranch  and  re 
ported  to  me,  as  I  have  said.  Bobbins  was  imme 
diately  dispatched  with  his  well-mounted  scouts  to 
meet  the  old  chief  and  his  party  and  bring  them 
speedily  under  the  protection  of  the  troops.  To 
facilitate  this,  Sarah  sent  Pi-Ute  Joe  back  as  a 
guide,  and  in  due  time  Chief  Winnemucca  was 
rescued. 

Sarah  said  of  this  extraordinary  journey, 
rather  boastfully,  but  nevertheless  with  perfect 
truth:  "  I  went  for  the  government  when  the  of 
ficers  could  not  get,  for  love  or  money,  an  Indian 
or  a  white  man  to  go." 

According  to  the  reports  that  came  to  me  the 
aggregate  number  of  the  hostiles  varied  from  seven 
hundred  to  fifteen  hundred  warriors.  They  had  a 
strong  defensible  position  and  expressed  fierce  de 
termination  to  give  me  battle  at  Stein's  Mountains. 

I  received  a  sad  report  that  McGregor  and 
Downey,  finding  the  Indians  so  strongly  posted, 
had  turned  back  to  their  families  at  Camp  Harney. 


396  MY  LITE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

From  every  consideration  Stein's  Mountains  were 
just  then  our  objective  point.  The  different  col 
umns  coming  toward  me  were  stopped  en  route 
and  ordered  there ;  they  were  to  take  every  precau 
tion  ;  carefully  scout  the  country ;  pick  up  Indian 
men,  women,  and  children,  and  avoid  all  ambus 
cades;  were  warned  not  to  attack  the  enemy 
separately  except  where  there  was  a  reasonable 
prospect  of  success,  but  when  an  attack  was  deter 
mined  on  it  must  be  delivered  at  once  and  be  quick 
and  vigorous.  The  columns  were  to  keep  up  con 
stant  communication  with  each  other  by  scouts 
and  couriers,  so  as  to  give  one  another  the  readiest 
information  and  the  promptest  support  in  case  of 
need.  Colonel  Wheaton  at  Walla  Walla  was  in 
structed  to  watch  with  great  care  the  Cayuses  and 
other  Columbia  Indians  in  his  district,  particularly 
the  Umatillas,  and  to  guard  against  the  successful 
return  of  renegades  at  all  times. 

After  putting  everything  in  motion,  my  staff 
officers  and  myself,  taking  Sarah  and  Mat-tie 
as  guides  and  interpreters,  drove  rapidly  from 
Sheep  Eanch  to  Fort  Lyon,  resting  there  a  short 
time.  We  then  made  a  quick  drive  to  the  Baker 
road  and  joined  our  right  column  under  Major 
Stuart.  His  men  were  pressing  forward  as  fast  as 
they  could  march  toward  Stein's  Mountains. 

At  Rhinehart's  corner  was  a  large  brick  house 
and  other  buildings  filled  to  repletion  with  families 
that  had  rushed  in  for  mutual  safety  from  the 
valleys  and  cattle  ranches.  My  aide,  Lieutenant 
C.  E.  S.  Wood,  who  was  in  charge  of  the  scouts, 
hired  all  the  men  in  the  vicinity  to  go  out  and  skir- 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  397 

mish  for  the  government.  Every  man  was  mounted 
upon  a  Cayuse  pony— a  half-breed  animal,  swift 
enough,  but  often  ugly.  A  woman  cried  out  in 
anguish  to  me :  "  What,  send  away  our  husbands  ? 
Who  will  care  for  us  ?  Who  will  protect  us  ?  ': 

Wood  replied  laconically:  "Their  going  is 
your  protection." 

"Oh,"  said  one  in  tears,  "let  the  soldiers  do 
that;  let  the  soldiers  do  the  fighting— it  is  their 
business! >: 

"Why,  yes,"  the  humorous  lieutenant  re 
marked,  "the  soldiers  will  do  the  fighting— your 
friends  will  only  have  to  help  them  find  something 
to  fight." 

By  the  19th  we  were  within  striking  distance  of 
the  great  Indian  stronghold.  When  the  Indians 
caught  sight  of  Bernard's  mounted  men  they  lost 
courage,  and  rushed  eastward  and  southward,  run 
ning  with  great  speed,  as  only  Indians  can,  for  over 
a  hundred  miles,  escaping  into  a  very  hilly  and 
heavily  wooded  tract  southwest  of  Camp  Harney. 
The  instant  Bernard  found  that  the  Indians  had 
fled  from  Stein's  Mountains  he  pressed  after  them, 
following  their  trail,  and  putting  his  own  troops 
to  their  utmost  speed. 


24 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

IFCIDENTS~AND  HARDSHIPS  OF  AN  INDIAN  CAMPAIGN  —  THE 

BATTLE  OF  BIRCH  CREEK  — FLIGHT  OF  THE 

INDIANS. 

A  Chosen  Indian  Leader  —  Panic  in  an  Indian  Camp  —  Indian  Women 
for  Guides  —  Alarming  Rumors  —  The  Battle  of  Curry  Creek  — 
Camp  of  the  Renegades  —  An  Innocent-looking  Log  —  Pulling  an 
Old  Indian  Squaw  Out  of  It  —  Pursuing  the  Indians  —  Picking  up 
a  White  Man's  Scalp  —  A  Couple  of  Unreliable  Guides  —  A  Steep 
Descent  of  Four  Miles  —  Finding  a  Column  of  Pack-mules  —  A 
WTord  of  Warning  —  Locating  the  Indians  —  Getting  Ready  for 
Battle  —  How  a  Soldier  Feels  Before  a  Battle  —  Indians  Abandon 
Their  Stronghold  —  "  Come  on,  You  White  Dogs !  " 

CHIEF  EGAN  had  now  become  the  Indians' 
chosen  leader.    He  had  been  very  reluctant 
at   first  to   join  the   Bannocks,   but  under 
threats  and  persuasions  he  concluded  to  take  Oj^es, 
the  Dreamer,  as  his  counselor,  and  become  the  mili 
tary  head  of  all  the  tribes  represented.    In  former 
years  Egan  had  successfully  fought  General  Crook 
and  other  officers,  and  had  won  quite  a  reputation 
for  heroic  valor  among  both  white  men  and  In 
dians. 

He  never  risked  everything  in  a  pitched  battle. 
As  soon  as  he  heard  that  I  was  coming  with  three 
separate  bodies  of  fighting  men  and  plenty  of  guns 
and  ammunition,  he  decided  to  move  rapidly  west 
ward  to  his  old  stamping  ground,  where  my  col 
umns  would  be  separated ;  while  the  Indians  would 
have  the  protection  of  extensive  forests,  and  could 
scatter  at  will  and  deceive  their  pursuers  by  nu- 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  399 

merous  trails.  He  hoped  also  that  as  he  drew 
nearer  to  the  resorts  of  the  Klamaths  and  the 
Umatillas  some  of  them  would  join  his  ranks,  and 
that  these  new  allies  would  bring  fresh  supplies. 

The  heart  of ^old  Oytes  himself  began  to  weaken 
when  the  Indian  scouts  rushed  in  crying  that  more 
than  a  thousand  mounted  men  were  moving  to 
attack  them.  Notwithstanding  the  panic  that  fol 
lowed,  Egan  steadily  continued  the  march,  with 
his  warriors  heavily  encumbered  with  women,  chil 
dren,  and  baggage.  Their  march  wras  phenomenal. 
No  white  caravan  of  like  size  could  stand  such 
tremendous  strain  and  fatigue. 

Meanwhile,  I  sent  Lieutenant  Wilkinson,  with 
two  soldiers  and  the  two  Indian  women  for  guides, 
to  make  their  way  by  the  stars  to  Camp  Harney. 
The  air  was  full  of  alarming  rumors  and  one  was 
that  McGregor's  troops  outside  of  that  post  had 
been  met  by  Egan  and  annihilated,  and  that  Har 
ney  was  in  great  danger  of  capture  and  massacre. 

It  was  the  23d  of  June.  I  was  with  the  head  of 
the  foot  column.  We  had  gone  late  into  camp  and 
an  extraordinary  quiet  reigned.  Suddenly,  at 
about  eleven  o'clock  that  night,  Wilkinson  startled 
the  outposts  by  coming  back  with  his  Indian  guides, 
and  rode  rapidly  into  camp.  He  had  ridden  forty- 
five  miles  that  day  from  Camp  Harney.  He 
brought  good  tidings.  McGregor  was  united  with 
Bernard ;  a  battle  had  occurred  the  day  before,  but 
instead  of  being  defeated  they  had  won  a  victory. 
This  was  the  battle  of  Curry  Creek,  ninety  miles 
from  us,  and  forty-five  beyond  Camp  Harney. 

After  unusual  resistance  the  Indians  had  fled 


400  MY  LITE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

from  that  field,  but  had  rallied  again  not  far  off 
and  continued  their  flight.  Bernard  had  managed 
to  get  four  troops  of  cavalry  into  the  Curry  Creek 
engagement,  but,  owing  to  their  forced  marches 
over  rough  ground  and  long  distances,  his  soldiers 
were  exceedingly  weary,  and  he  now  called  strenu 
ously  upon  me  for  reinforcements.  That  battle 
was  not  decisive  enough  to  end  the  campaign. 

Before  eleven  o  'clock  the  next  morning  the  ad 
vance,  with  myself,  entered  Camp  Harney.  Tak 
ing  but  two  hours  for  food  and  rest,  Lieutenant 
Wood  and  I  rode  on  toward  Captain  Bernard, 
reaching  Captain  Evan  Miles'  company  of  infantry 
at  Sage  Hen  Springs.  Captain  Miles  was  hasten 
ing  from  Harney  to  support  Bernard.  Early  the 
following  morning  we  were  on  the  battle-field,  and 
pushed  forward  to  join  Bernard,  who  was  still 
following  the  trail  of  the  largest  body  of  Indians. 

We  learned  from  some  prisoners  that  the  Kla- 
maths,  some  Columbia  River  Indians,  and  a  small 
body  of  Umatillas  were  about  to  join  the  Bannocks 
and  Pi-Utes.  These  renegades  had  gone  into  camp 
not  far  from  the  John  Day  Valley,  sixty  miles 
south  of  the  Umatilla  reservation,  and  Egan  had 
turned  his  march  northward  in  that  direction.  The 
Indians  had  to  cross  a  rough  range  of  mountains 
to  get  into  the  John  Day  Valley,  and  they  were 
then  executing  this  movement.  What  a  diversified 
country!  Jagged  rocks,  precipitous  slopes,  knife- 
edged  divides,  deep  canyons  with  sides  steep  and 
difficult,  the  distance  from  a  crest  to  the  mountain 
stream  that  tumbled  over  the  rocks  far  below  being 
sometimes  four  or  five  miles. 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  401 

It  was  on  the  north  side  of  this,  the  John  Day 
divide,  that  the  Umatillas  and  other  Indians  under 
suspicion  were  waiting  for  Chief  Egan  and  his 
raiders.  Along  one  of  the  trails  we  came  upon  a 
large,  half -decayed  log.  This  log,  like  so  many  in 
veteran  forests,  was  at  one  end  simply  a  shell. 
From  the  very  center  of  it  we  pulled  out  an  old 
and  decrepit  Indian  woman  clad  in  tatters.  At 
first  she  was  almost  speechless.  She  was  without 
food,  and  had  crawled  into  the  log  to  stay  there 
until  she  died.  I  gave  orders  to  have  her  brought 
to  my  next  night  encampment,  where  Sarah  and 
Mattie  took  charge  of  her.  She  was  fed,  clothed, 
and  treated  with  great  kindness  by  all.  As  soon  as 
she  recovered  her  senses  she  cried  bitterly,  and  said 
that  her  nephew,  Buffalo  Horn,  was  dead.  She 
believed  old  Oytes  had  been  put  in  his  place. 

Sarah  and  Mattie  won  her  confidence  and  were 
rewarded  by  a  full  statement  of  what  the  Indians 
had  done,  and  of  some  of  their  future  plans. 

The  30th  of  June  was  an  eventful  day.  On  the 
two  preceding  days  we  had  experienced  the  cold 
of  winter  in  the  mountains,  and  considerable  snow 
had  fallen.  As  we  went  from  Indian  camp  to  In 
dian  camp  we  found  hundreds  of  pine  trees 
stripped  from  the  bottom  up  as  higli  as  one  could 
reach.  Sarah  said  that  the  Indians  used  the  inner 
bark  for  food.  The  outer  bark  helped  them  to 
cover  the  frosty  ground  for  beds,  and  also  added 
to  their  fuel.  From  the  camp  signs  we  estimated 
their  numbers  to  be  about  fifteen  hundred.  On  a 
stump  near  the  remains  of  a  lodge  we  picked  up 
the  scalp  of  a  white  man. 


402  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

That  morning  we  met  two  men— mine  pros 
pectors—who  wanted  employment.  Upon  their 
declaring  that  they  were  familiar  with  the  country 
I  engaged  them  as  guides.  As  we  went  deeper  and 
deeper  into  the  forest  and  ascended  the  slopes  of 
the  mountains  one  of  the  guides,  becoming  con 
science-stricken,  deserted,  and  not  long  after  the 
other,  having  halted  the  train,  came  back  to  me  and 
confessed  in  broken  English  that  he  had  lost  his 
way.  I  was  greatly  puzzled  what  to  do ;  every  man 
near  me  was  an  utter  stranger  to  that  region. 
After  a  moment's  delay  I  galloped  to  the  head  of 
the  column  closely  observing  the  country  as  I  went. 
I  saw  plainly  by  the  formation  of  the  ridges  that 
if  I  could  go  from  hog-back  to  hog-back  I  would 
finally  gain  the  crest. 

The  hostile  Indians,  having  no  wagons,  had 
been  able  after  crossing  the  divide  to  descend  by  a 
narrow  river  canyon.  At  the  risk  of  finding  the 
northern  slope  impassable  I  decided  at  once  to  take 
the  chances  of  advancing.  Ordering  the  wagons  to 
follow  me,  without  uttering  a  word  of  the  uncer 
tainties  that  oppressed  me,  I  led  the  way  from 
ridge  to  ridge  until  I  gained  the  summit.  There  I 
discovered  a  spur,  a  steep  one  it  is  true,  with  a 
slope  not  too  difficult  for  wagons.  The  spur  ran 
northward,  and  then  down  into  the  very  country 
we  wanted  to  reach.  That  night  we  were  happy 
to  find  ourselves  in  a  good  camp  in  a  land  more 
familiar  to  some  of  our  own  men: 

The  next  day  had  its  own  trials.  Looking  down 
into  the  deep  canyon  of  the  John  Day  we  discov 
ered  signs  of  an  old  emigrant  wagon  road.  A  spur 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  403 

similar  to  that  of  the  mountain,  only  steeper,  led 
from  us  to  the  bottom.  One  can  judge  of  the  depth 
of  that  canyon  when  I  say  that  there  was  a  steady 
down-hill  descent  of  at  least  four  miles.  It  took 
from  two  r.  M.  until  ten  o'clock  that  night  to  worry 
our  train  down  those  difficult  steeps  into  camp. 
The  hill  was  so  precipitous  as  to  cause  a  constant 
sliding  of  the  wagons.  This  sliding  was  checked 
by  dragging  chains,  by  fastening  limbs  of  large 
trees  to  the  axle-tree,  by  hitching  a  pair  of  obstinate 
mules  behind  the  wagon  body,  and  by  other  emer 
gency  contrivances.  The  most  successful  experi 
ment  was  the  tying  on  of  long  ropes  and  manning 
them  with  soldiers,  who  watched  the  wagons  in 
their  descent  and  prevented  their  capsizing. 

In  the  valley,  the  next  morning,  we  saw  where 
another  company  of  volunteers  had  rushed  upon 
the  Indians  and  been  driven  back,  leaving  the 
dead  bodies  of  two  of  their  number  to  be  buried  by 
our  advance. 

We  steadily  kept  on  northward  until  our  dif 
ferent  columns  appeared  to  be  in  position  to  hem 
in  the  Indians  upon  all  sides  and  force  them  to 
battle.  I  was  warned  by  some  experienced  officers 
who  said:  "Ah,  General,  Chief  Egan  is  i  great ' 
on  hiding  and  running.  He  always  takes  to  the 
wooded  mountains.  He  is  wary  and  swift." 

I  had  come  to  Pilot  Rock,  a  little  hamlet  north 
of  the  famous  Blue  Mountains,  near  the  charming 
little  town  of  Heppner.  There  were  two  streams 
rising  in  the  Blue  Mountains  a  few  miles  south 
east  of  Pilot  Rock.  They  ran  northeasterly  and 
emptied  into  the  Umatilla  River.  The  mouths  of 


404  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

these  two  streams  are  miles  apart,  but  their  head 
waters  are  near  together,  .so  near,  in  fact,  that 
numerous  little  rivulets  can  hardly  determine 
which  creek  to  take,  till  a  chance  knoll  or  rock  has 
decided  their  course. 

It  was  between  these  streams  near  Birch  Creek 
that  two  of  our  diligent  scouts  the  night  before 
had  found  the  Indians.  Chief  Bgan  had  chosen  a 
broad  and  rugged  height  for  defense.  The  slopes 
in  front  of  his  warriors,  after  the  detached  hill 
was  reached,  were  steep,  stony,  deceptive,  and  ex 
tremely  difficult.  Egan  had  woods  on  his  right  a 
few  hundred  yards  away,  and  hills  as  good  as  the 
one  he  held  and  other  woods  behind  him. 

At  sunrise,  July  8th,  I  was  talking  hopefully 
and  looking  toward  that  rugged  hill,  when  Sarah 
Winnemucca  said :  * '  No,  they  will  not  stop  long. 
The  timber  is  near  and  the  Pi-Utes  will  get  away." 

The  sun  came  up  bright  and  clear,  and  my  col 
umns  were  soon  in  motion.  Throckmorton,  with  a 
well-reputed  guide,  having  some  artillery,  infantry, 
and  volunteers,  took  the  Butter  Creek  route ;  Ber 
nard,  with  seven  troops  of  cavalry,  and  Bobbins, 
with  his  scouts  and  a  Gatling  gun,  accompanied  me. 
We  went  up  the  foothills,  passing  rapidly  from 
knoll  to  knoll,  and  struck  as  directly  as  possible  for 
the  rocky  height.  There  is  always  a  feeling  of 
dread  just  before  a  battle.  It  takes  but  one  bullet 
to  kill  you.  The  thought  of  death  to  a  comrade  is 
not  a  happy  one,  and  even  the  blood  of  your  coun 
try's  foe  is  not  attractive.  The  distinction,  the 
glory,  the  reward  —  they  are  no  compensation. 

As  we  reached  a  high  crest  we  saw  the  Indians 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  405 

and  their  ponies  among  the  rocks.  They  did  not 
act  as  usual,  but  kept  moving  about,  some  jumping 
up  and  down  as  if  in  defiance.  Their  conduct  was 
like  Joseph's  Nez  Perces'  at  the  Clear  Water  the 
year  before,  when  with  blankets  tossed  high  over 
their  heads  they  danced  around,  looking  and  acting 
like  hoAvling  dervishes  in  their  frenzied  capers, 
doubtless  hoping  to  inspire  terror  in  our  breasts. 

Bernard,  taking  the  trot,  began  the  ascent. 
The  cavalry  sped  from  hill  to  hill  until  it  reached 
the  vicinity  of  the  enemy.  The  Indians  from  be 
tween  the  rocks  began  to  fire  at  Bernard's  soldiers 
as  well  as  they  could  down  such  an  unpropitious 
grade.  Our  men  veered  to  the  right  and  left  as  they 
went  up  different  sides ;  several  soldiers  were  hit ; 
several  horses  fell  under  the  men,  who  with  diffi 
culty  extricated  themselves  from  their  stirrups. 
Soon  we  saw  them  clearing  the  summit.  It  was 
speedily  done;  wave  after  wave  striking  the  In 
dians'  position — front  and  flank — in  quick  succes 
sion. 

But  Egan  and  his  warriors  carried  out  their 
plan.  They  were  too  quick  for  our  breathless 
horses.  They  had  already  abandoned  their  stone- 
crowned  hill,  leaving  to  us  only  some  old  horses 
and  played-out  mules,  which  were  filling  the  gaps 
between  the  dark  rocks,  while  the  Indians  them 
selves  appeared  triumphant  on  the  next  height 
beyond.  Bernard  was  vexed ;  yes,  disgusted.  Like 
a  flock  of  birds  they  were  on  this  pinnacle ;  and,  like 
them,  they  had  flown  to  the  next.  In  a  book  Sarah 
Winnemucca  has  written  she  says  of  us : 

"  Dear  reader,  if  you  could  only  know  the  diffi- 


406  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

culties  of  this  wilderness  you  could  appreciate  the 
soldiers'  royal  service.  The  fight  commenced  at 
eight  o'clock,  under  a  hot  sun  and  with  no  water. 
The  whole  of  it  was  watched  by  the  general  com 
manding.  The  bullets  were  whistling  all  around 
us  and  the  general  said  to  me  and  Mattie :  '  Get 
behind  the  rocks ;  you  will  get  hit. ' : 

At  one  time  we  heard  an  Indian's  shrill  call. 
It  was  from  Oytes.  Sarah  interpreted  it  as  mean 
ing:  "Come  on,  you  white  dogs.;  what  are  you 
waiting  for?"  We  strained  our  ears  to  catch 
more  words,  but  they  did  not  come. 

Bernard  endeavored  this  time,  after  a  short 
rest  for  his  horses,  to  cut  off  their  retreat  while  he 
ascended  the  next  height,  but  the  rough  country 
and  the  great  exhaustion  of  the  horses  and  men 
made  it  possible  for  the  Indians  to  elude  his  next 
charge,  and  they  soon  disappeared  from  his  front 
altogether.  Not  many  Indians  were  killed  and 
wounded.  Their  women,  children,  and  best  horses, 
in  droves,  were  beyond  danger  before  the  battle 
began. 

I  felt  that  night  tired  and  chagrined.  This  ex 
perience  reminded  me  of  a  hunter  chasing  an  ante 
lope  all  day  with  several  beautiful  chances  in  his 
favor,  but  the  animal 's  quick  ears  and  native  fleet- 
ness  divined  the  hunter's  approach  and  enabled  it 
to  elude  all  his  shots.  Unlike  the  hunter,  my  object 
in  pursuing  these  Indians  was  not  to  kill,  but- 
like  my  dear  father  chasing  bees  —  to  hive. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

A   LONG  AND  EXCITING  CHASE  — THE   ENGAGEMENTS   THAT 

FOLLOWED  —  THRILLING  INCIDENTS  OF 

THE  CAMPAIGN. 

Stumbling  Upon  Fresh  Indian  Trails  —  Catching  Up  With  the  Hostiles 
—  "  See  the  Enemy !  "  —  Indian  Tactics  in  Battle  —  A  Brutal 
Cayuse  Chief  —  The  Murder  of  Chief  Egan  and  His  Companions  — 
Searching  for  Indian  Hiding-places  —  Six  Hundred  Indian  Prison 
ers —  Charging  the  Indians  Across  a  River  —  Murder  of  a  Nez 
Perce"  Scout  —  A  Remarkable  Death  Scene  —  Surprising  a  Crowd 
of  Indians  —  Breaking  up  Indian  Camps  —  Results  of  the  Umatilla 
Council  —  A  Burly  White  Ruffian  —  Efforts  to  Provoke  a  Quarrel 
With  Me  —  Sarah  Winnemucca's  Criticisms  —  Death  of  Mattie. 

PLACING  my  chief -of-staff,  Major  E.  C.  Mason, 
in  my  place  at  Cayuse  Station,  I  hastened  on 
to  Walla  Walla  to  communicate  with  General 
McDowell  at  San  Francisco,  and  to  inaugurate  a 
new  pursuit.  Some  Umatillas,  professing  to  be 
friends,  came  into  Mason's  encampment  the  first 
night  after  I  had  left  and  were  kindly  received. 
They  gave  false  information  concerning  the  hos- 
tiles  and  gathered  knowledge  from  us  that  they 
ought  not  to  have  had.  Their  reports  fortunately 
caused  Egan  to  turn  back  against  us. 

Meanwhile,  Mason  changed  his  headquarters  to 
the  vicinity  of  the  Umatilla  reservation,  and  was 
gathering  our  scattered  forces  into  a  common  camp 
for  rest  and  recruitment.  In  executing  this  move 
ment  Captain  Evan  Miles,  having  nearly  all  the 
Twenty-first  Infantry  Eegiment  with  him,  ran 
upon  fresh  Indian  trails,  which  he  at  once  followed. 


408  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

On  the  12th  of  July  he  made  a  march  of  thirty-five 
miles,  and  camped  at  two  A.  M.  on  the  13th.  While 
in  camp  Captain  Rodney  of  the  Fourth  Artillery 
arrived  with  two  companies  of  his  regiment,  and 
he  also  had  with  him  a  troop  of  the  First  Cavalry, 
under  Captain  Bendire.  Miles '  camp,  though  made 
in  the  night,  proved  to  be  a  good  point  for  observa 
tion,  and  daylight  revealed  groups  of  Indians  in 
plain  sight  who  took  no  pains  to  conceal  their  posi 
tion. 

At  first  a  band  of  Umatillas,  seemingly  about 
to  join  the  hostiles,  sent  one  of  their  number  under 
cover  of  a  white  flag  to  Captain  Miles  and  had  a 
talk  with  him,  with  the  result  that  they  wisely  re 
mained  neutral  and  were  passive  spectators  dur 
ing  the  conflict  that  followed.  Miles  made  a  slight 
change  of  location  for  the  convenience  of  his  com 
mand  in  getting  coffee  and  breakfast,  but  the  fires 
were  hardly  lighted  when  the  Pi-Utes  and  Ban 
nocks  were  seen  coming  stealthily  toward  him  in 
large  force.  Without  waiting  a  moment  Miles 
deployed  his  men,  Rodney's  companies  being  on 
the  left  and  facing  southward,  while  some  com 
panies  of  infantry  formed  a  semicircular  line  from 
Rodney's  position  westward,  putting  Bendire 's 
cavalry  upon  the  extreme  left.  The  remaining 
companies  of  the  Twenty-first  Infantry  were  held 
in  the  rear  in  reserve. 

Captain  Miles  had  two  small  howitzers  which 
he  brought  into  action  near  his  center.  The  In 
dians,  as  usual,  stopped  just  beyond  the  zone  of 
immediate  danger.  They  ran  into  deep  and 
crooked  ravines,  and  concealed  themselves  as  com- 


AMONG  OUK  HOSTILE  INDIANS  409 

pletely  as  they  could,  like  our  skirmishers,  the 
difference  being  that  if  our  men  heard  a  call  such 
as  "See  the  enemy!'1  every  individual  soldier 
would  spring  up  and  jump  upon  a  log  to  see  where 
the  enemy  was,  while  the  Indians  would  remain 
motionless  or  secrete  themselves  still  more  effectu 
ally.  From  their  hiding  places  the  Indians  fired 
briskly  but  irregularly,  and  our  skirmishers  re 
turned  the  fire,  aiming  at  puffs  of  smoke.  This 
kind  of  fighting  lasted  a  long  time  and  much  ammu 
nition  was  expended  with  small  results,  especially 
upon  our  side. 

About  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  Miles  or 
dered  Rodney  with  his  battalion  to  gain  ground 
to  the  left  and  then  push  forward  and  clear  a 
ravine  in  his  vicinity.  Rodney's  men  sprang  for 
ward  with  enthusiasm  and  promptly  set  the  In 
dians  in  motion.  Seeing  this  Miles  made  a  charge 
along  his  entire  curvilinear  front.  Chief  Egan 
did  not  expect  this,  for  he  was  intently  watching 
other  chances  in  the  game  of  war.  His  Indians  at 
once  mounted  their  ponies  and  swiftly  rushed  for 
the  foothills  behind  them.  Egan  wrent  with  them, 
pursued  by  the  excited  troops,  who  for  the  time 
had  forgotten  both  breakfast  and  dinner.  The 
chase  continued  for  more  than  three  miles  up  the 
mountain  steeps  and  into  the  thick  forest.  At  last, 
worn  out  with  fatigue,  our  men  at  dark  went  into 
camp  where  they  were. 

Meantime,  Mr.  Cornoyer,  finding  that  many  of 
his  Umatillas  had  been  treacherous,  sent  a  hurried 
dispatch  to  Captain  Miles  to  return  at  once,  saying 
that  he  feared  the  agency  and  everything  connected 


410  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

with  it  would  be  destroyed.  Tired  as  the  soldiers 
were  with  the  terrific  march  of  the  day  and  night 
before  and  an  all-day  battle,  they  silently  but  hur 
riedly  turned  back  and  were  soon  at  the  agency, 
where  their  commander  made  thorough  prepara 
tion  for  defense  and  then  gave  his  men  needed  food 
and  rest. 

After  this  defeat  the  renegade  allies — Cayuses, 
Umatillas,  and  Columbias— came  to  Captain  Miles 
and  proposed  to  act  on  his  side.  Their  real  leader 
was  Umapine.  He  was  a  Cayuse  Indian  about  six 
feet  in  height,  having  a  closely-knit  frame,  thick 
chest,  and  broad  shoulders.  When  not  on  the  war 
path  he  had  a  friendly  eye  and  not  an  unpleasant 
smile,  yet  the  impression  he  left  upon  you  was  that 
he  possessed  a  fierce  animal  nature.  When  he  ate 
he  consumed  twice  as  much  as  any  other  strong 
man ;  when  he  fasted  he  could  go  a  long  time  with 
out  food.  In  war  he  displayed  profound  treachery 
and  postitive  enjoyment  of  murder.  Even  his 
mates  shuddered  at  his  brutality.  After  commit- 
ing  atrociously  wicked  acts  he  would  strut  with 
pride  and  boast  of  his  brutal  prowess. 

The  Pi-Utes  and  Bannocks  had  leaned  upon 
him  as  a  friend.  After  the  interview  with  Miles, 
the  day  following  the  battle,  Umapine,  with  a  few 
followers,  overtook  Chief  Egan  and  his  fleeing 
warriors.  The  next  day  he  brought  back  to  the 
agency  ghastly  signs  of  his  terrible  work.  He  had 
murdered  Egan  and  some  of  his  companions. 

The  talk  of  Natchez,  Sarah  Winnemucca's 
brother,  to  the  Umatillas  in  a  subsequent  council 
tells  its  own  story.  After  showing  the  Umatillas 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  413 

that  they  had  promoted  war  by  their  delegates,  and 
then  urged  Egan  and  Oytes  to  make  it,  he  said: 
"  You  have  called  them  fools  (the  Pi-Utes)  to  stay 
on  the  reservation  and  starve ;  and  another  thing, 
you  have  helped  the  Bannocks  to  fight  the  soldiers. 
After  all  that,  it  must  be  a  beautiful  sensation  to 
cut  a  man  or  woman  to  pieces  and  then  skin  their 
heads  and  fasten  them  on  a  pole  and  dance  around 
them  as  if  you  wrere  happy!  r 

After  these  events  I  divided  my  command  again 
in  order  to  follow  up  the  numerous  trails  of  the 
hostiles,  visit  every  hiding-place,  and  search  the 
entire  field.  My  object  was  to  bring  in  the  Indians 
as  prisoners,  and,  if  possible,  allay  the  wild  fears 
of  the  ranch  people  and  settlers,  who  never  felt  sure 
of  protection  until  they  saw  the  troops. 

I  kept  up  this  work  for  more  than  a  month, 
sweeping  southward  across  the  John  Day  Valley 
and  on  to  Harney  Lake,  and  westward  over  all  our 
campaigning  ground,  vising  at  times  as  many  as 
ten  different  columns. 

When  passing  the  Malheur  agency  for  the  sec 
ond  time  I  put  Colonel  M.  P.  Miller  there  to  do 
what  he  could  to  bring  in  the  Indian  stragglers. 
He  thoroughly  probed  the  country,  gathered  many 
wanderers,  kept  the  prisoners  sent  to  him,  and 
caught  all  who  fell  into  his  net.  The  old  Indian 
woman  whom  Sarah  and  Mattie  had  cared  for  had 
come  back  to  health  and  strength.  Miller  sent  her 
out  to  hunt  for  frightened  people,  be  they  men, 
women  or  children,  instructing  her  to  show  them 
where  they  could  come  for  food,  shelter,  and  per 
manent  peace.  Miller  wrote  to  me  afterwards: 


414  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

"  The  pickets  brought  them  in  (those  that  the 
old  woman  had  seen  and  informed)  and  they  had  a 
talk  with  me  to  the  effect  that  their  band  desired 
to  surrender.  I  told  them  that  they  could  come  in 
as  prisoners  of  war."  There  came  to  him  in  all 
twenty-seven  warriors,  seventy-two  women  and 
children,  with  fifty  horses  and  ponies  and  ten  guns. 

Colonel  J.  W.  Forsyth,  who  in  the  subsequent 
operations  commanded  my  right  column,  rendered 
me  an  account  of  his  several  days  of  marching: 
"  It  was  up  and  down  steep  canyons,  over  the  high 
est  ridges  of  the  mountains,  and  through  a  perfect 
network  of  fallen  timber."  He  went  there  because 
the  hostile  Indians  had  led  the  way.  He  struck 
their  rear  guard  in  a  deep  ravine  on  the  north  fork 
of  the  John  Day  River.  The  ascent  was  so  steep 
that  in  getting  out  of  it  several  of  the  pack  animals 
rolled  into  the  stream  and  were  lost. 

The  Indians  kept  a  rear  guard  of  -about  forty 
warriors.  Forsyth 's  eight  scouts  were  close  upon 
their  heels.  One  of  them  accidentally  discharged 
his  carbine  and  this  set  the  Indians  to  firing.  They 
killed  our  courier,  Mr.  Forman,  and  severely 
wounded  one  of  our  scouts.  Forsyth  instantly 
rushed  his  line  forward  up  a  precipitous  hill,  but 
not  soon  enough  to  get  a  fair  chance  at  the  foe,  who 
had  mounted  and  fled  before  the  troops  could  reach 
the  crest. 

When  I  reached  Boise  again  I  found  there 
twenty  Indian  prisoners  that  Lieutenant  Guy 
Howard  of  the  Twelfth  Infantry,  with  a  part  of 
Captain  Vivien's  company,  had  succeeded  in  gath 
ering  up  near  Ladd's  Canyon.  In  like  manner 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  415 

other  small  detachments  had  found  Indians  in  hid 
ing  and  had  brought  them  in  until  at  last  there 
were  at  Camp  Harney  over  six  hundred  Indians 
under  guard. 

There  were  no  more  battles  of  any  consequence 
and  scarcely  any  organized  resistance,  excepting 
on  the  part  of  the  Bannock  contingent  which  had 
separated  and  fled  from  the  Pi-Utes  and  other 
allies. 

Major  Sanford  wrote,  on  July  18th:  "I  re 
ceived  information  from  Lieutenant  Williams  in 
command  of  our  Nez  Perce  scouts  (near  Ladd's 
Canyon)  that  he  had  been  fired  upon  by  a  party  of 
white  men,  and  that  one  of  his  Indians  was  mortally 
wounded."  The  other  Nez  Perce  scouts  were  very 
much  incensed  at  what  they  considered  an  outrage, 
and  determined  to  return  home.  The  white  men 
claimed  that  they  thought  .these  scouts  were  Ban 
nocks,  but  the  Nez  Perces  insisted  that  they  were 
dressed  in  their  scouts'  uniform,  and  were  moving 
in  a  proper  way.  After  that  they  distrusted  the 
white  men  altogether.  Before  his  death  the 
wounded  Indian  scout  sent  for  the  white  man  who 
had  shot  him,  took  him  by  the  hand,  looked  him  in 
the  face,  told  him  that  he  forgave  him,  and  besought 
the  other  scouts  to  do  the  same.  His  comrades  gave 
him  a  simple  Christian  burial.  One  of  their  num 
ber  prayed,  another  repeated  some  words  from  the 
Scriptures,  and  all  joined  in  singing  as  they 
committed  his  body  to  earth.  Could  a  white  Chris 
tian  have  been  nobler  than  that  dying  Nez  Perce 
scout  ? 

There  was  one  band  of  mounted  Indians  that, 

25 


416  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

in  spite  of  shelling  and  rifle  shooting,  started 
to  cross  the  river.  These  were  scattered,  though 
a  very  few  of  them  succeeded  in  reaching  the  other 
shore.  This  was  the  band  that  had  murdered  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Perkins,  and  brought  suspicion  upon  five 
hundred  other  Indians  along  the  upper  Columbia 
who  had  continued  to  be  faithful  to  their  promises. 

Our  campaign  was  not  finished  until  I  had  re 
turned  to  Umatilla  and  had  a  prolonged  council 
with  the  different  bodies  of  Indians,  —  Cayuses, 
Columbias,  Walla  Wallas,  and  Umatillas. 

The  results  of  the  Umatilla  council  were  to 
send  several  prominent  Indians  whose  loyalty  was 
suspected  to  safe  forts,  there  to  be  kept  for  a  time 
as  hostages  for  the  good  behavior  of  the  remainder. 

When  the  councils  were  concluded  Lieutenant 
Wood  and  myself  took  the  first  steamer  down  the 
Columbia.  The  lieutenant,  worn  out  by  fatigue, 
was  soon  fast  asleep  upon  a  side  seat.  I  was  sitting 
near  him  and  half  dreaming  when  a  burly  citizen 
approached  and  roughly  accosted  me.  He  was 
fairly  well  dressed,  but  had  evidently  been  drink 
ing.  On  seeing  me  he  had  doubtless  boasted  to  his 
boon  companions  that  he  would  show  me  how  the 
white  settlers  felt  toward  me  and  the  authorities 
who  were  over  me.  He  began:  "  I  hear  that  you 
have  allowed  those  accursed  Indians  to  surrender." 

"  Of  course  I  have,"  I  answered.  "  Whenever 
Indians  give  up  and  put  out  the  white  flag  they  are 
taken  as  prisoners  of  war." 

He  then  said  savagely :  "I  wouldn't  have  done 
it.  Every  last  one  of  'em  should  have  been  killed ! ' : 

"  Then,  sir,"  I  replied,  "  you  would  have  been 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  417 

a  murderer.  It  would  be  more  than  my  commission 
is  worth  to  do  such  a  dastardly  thing  as  to  kill  pris 
oners  of  war." 

Showing  great  anger,  he  uttered  more  insulting 
language,  and  imputed  unworthy  motives  to  my 
officers  and  myself.  The  crowd  seemed  to  be  en 
couraging  him  to  provoke  a  quarrel  with  me. 

I  then  arose  and  said  with  all  the  decision  of 
manner  I  could  muster :  "  Sir,  I  do  not  know  who 
you  are,  but  I  wish  you  to  understand  that  I  am  a 
soldier  who  has  never  turned  a  corner  to  avoid  a 
bullet;  now  what  do  you  want?  " 

He  instantly  changed  his  tone  and  said,  as  if 
ashamed  of  himself:  "  Oh,  nothing— come,  take  a 
drink." 

The  crowd  was  now  on  my  side,  and  after  hur 
rahing  for  me,  I  was  left  to  join  my  aide-de-camp 
in  his  undisturbed  repose. 

Sarah  Winnemucca,  some  time  after  the  war, 
gave  a  succinct  account  of  our  transferring  the  Pi- 
Utes  from  Camp  Harney,  where  we  had  collected 
most  of  them,  to  the  Yakima  agency  some  sixty 
miles  away.  She  said :  '  *  No  human  being  would 
do  such  a  thing  as  that,  send  people  across  a  fearful 
mountain  in  midwinter !'  We  could  have  kept 
them  until  spring,  but  our  instructions  were  im 
perative  to  deliver  them  to  Agent  Wilbur  at  Fort 
Simcoe.  The  work  was  done  by  Captain  William 
H.  Winters  of  the  First  Cavalry.  He  made  short 
marches,  and  succeeded  in  taking  them  through  the 
rough  country  with  his  small  escort  of  two  troops 
of  cavalry.  Two  adults,  who  were  already  ill,  and 
three  children  perished  on  the  journey. 


418  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Sarah  says :  ' i  One  afternoon  Mattie  and  I 
were  out  to  get  five  women  who  got  away  during 
the  night;  an  officer  was  sent  with  us.  We  were 
riding  very  fast  and  my  sister  Mattie 's  horse 
jumped  to  one  side  and  threw  her  off.  The  blood 
ran  out  of  her  mouth  and  I  thought  she  ^vould  die 
right  away,  but,  poor  dear,  she  went  on,  for  an 
ambulance  was  at  our  command. "  This  injury 
finally  caused  her  death. 

On  the  Simcoe  reservation,  notwithstanding 
the  great  care  of  the  venerable  Indian  agent,  Mr. 
Wilbur,  there  was  very  bitter  feeling  between  the 
newcomers  and  the  occupants  of  the  reservation, 
who  were  already  far  advanced  in  the  ways  of 
civilization.  Sarah  denounced  not  only  the  agent 
himself  and  other  employees,  but  all  the  civilized 
Indians  with  whom  the  Pi-Utes  had  to  do. 

Later,  upon  Mr.  Wilbur's  request,  I  saw  Sarah 
and  gave  her  letters  to  Washington,  which  she 
could  use  after  she  had  visited  her  father  and  all 
the  friendly  Pi-Utes  who  were  then  in  Nevada. 
One  remark  in  a  letter  which  she  bore  is  this: 
"  Mr.  Wilbur,  the  Yakima  Indian  agent,  thinks 
Sarah  is  now  a  Christian  and  wishes  me  to  aid  her 
to  prosecute  her  journey  to  Nevada,  which  I  have 
gladly  done.  .  .  .  Please  do  what  you  can  to 
assist  her  to  have  a  fair  interview  with  Mr.  Stick- 
ney  of  the  Indian  board  and  also  with  the  Com 
missioner  of  Indian  Affairs." 

Friends  of  humanity  may  say,  "  The  pictures 
you  have  given  us  are  sad  enough,  and  do  they  not 
show  how  cruel  the  whites  have  been  to  these  In 
dians  ?  ' '  I  answer :  ' i  Yes,  if  we  take  only  the  In- 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  419 

dians'  point  of  view."  But  surely  our  army  of 
ficers  were  not  cruel  toward  them.  The  Indians 
first  believed  one  of  their  old  Dreamers  about  the 
,  coming  of  the  Messiah.  Then  the  Pi-Utes  took 
advantage  of  a  grievance,  viz.:  the  removal  from 
them  of  a  good  agent  and  his  wife  and  giving  them 
another  whom  they  claimed  to  be  bad.  I  would 
have  helped  them  to  remedy  that,  if  they  had  asked. 
They  conspired  with  the  Bannocks  and  renegades 
and  appealed  to  arms,  and  believed  for  a  time  that 
they  were  strong  enough,  when  combined,  to  defeat 
the  white  troops  and  clear  their  region  of  the  sol 
diers  and  all  the  settlers.  The  outbreak  was  met 
promptly  by  the  troops.  The  Indians  were  de 
feated  in  every  battle;  they  broke  into  small  par 
ties,  but  were  pursued  relentlessty  until  a  part 
were  captured  and  the  rest  driven  far  beyond  the 
field  of  operations.  The  prisoners  were  gathered 
together  at  Fort  Harney  and  Vancouver  Barracks 
and  the  whole  case  submitted  to  Washington  for 
instructions. 

It  would  have  been  a  reward  to  misconduct  to 
have  given  them  back  the  reservation  which  they 
had  robbed  and  deserted  when  they  went  to  war. 
Any  hardships  that  occurred  were  merely  inci 
dental  to  the  circumstances.  Camp  Harney,  in  the 
midst  of  the  mountains,  could  not  easily  be  pro 
visioned  to  keep  the  garrison  through  the  winter, 
and  it  appeared  necessary  to  the  Indian  bureau  to 
have  the  Indians  sent  to  a  better  place  at  once.  Ex 
traordinary  expense  was  incurred  for  their  protec 
tion  and  comfort.  The  extreme  destitution  of  the 
women  and  children  was  due  to  the  rigors  of  war, 


420  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

—a  war  which  every  soldier  would,  if  in  his  power, 
gladly  have  prevented.  Had  the  Pi-Utes  accepted 
the  situation  at  Yakima,  cultivated  their  lands, 
and  built  houses  and  fences,  as  the  Simcoe  Indians 
had  done,  they  would  have  been  prosperous  and 
happy. 

But  it  was  too  much  of  a  transformation  to  ef 
fect  in  a  single  season.  Many  of  the  Simcoe  In 
dians,  as  we  have  seen,  live  in  good  houses  and  are 
prosperous  farmers ;  some  of  them  are  each  worth 
several  thousand  dollars— fortunes  accumulated 
by  their  own  industry.  They  were  indeed  an  object 
lesson  to  the  Pi-Utes,  but  the  Pi-Utes  were  not 
yet  far  enough  along  "  the  white  man's  road  "  to 
take  advantage  of  their  good  fortune.  They  be- 
>  oame  homesick,  and  begged  to  go  from  a  land  of 
fertility  to  a  comparatively  barren  waste  in  Nevada 
which  had  always  been  the  hunting  and  fishing 
ground  of  their  people.  Their  cry  wras  heeded,  like 
that  of  Joseph  and  the  non-treaty  Nez  Perces,  and 
so  they  returned  to  beat  their  tom-toms  and  dance 
and  dream  in  their  old  haunts. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

AMONG  THE  SHEEP-EATERS  —   CAMPAIGNING  IN  "  THE  LAND 
OF  THE  SEVEN  DEVILS." 

A  Visionary  Old  Dreamer  —  Some  Alarming  Reports  —  Getting  Ready 
to  Take  the  Warpath  —  A  Select  Company  of  Indian  Scouts  and 
Sharpshooters  —  Campaigning  in  a  Fearfully  Rough  Country  — • 
Pursuing  a  Band  of  Marauding  Horse-thieves  —  Defeat  of  Our 
Troops  —  Five  Days  of  Terrific  Forced  Marches  —  Stumbling  Upon 
an  Indian  Ambuscade  —  Completely  Surrounded  by  Indians  —  Set 
ting  Fire  to  the  Grass  and  Timber  —  Heroic  Efforts'  of  the  Troops 
to  Extricate  Themselves  —  A  Bannock  Spy  Who  Played  Me  False  — 
Teaching  Captive  Indians  —  Escape  of  the  Bannock  Spy. 

IN  the  early  part  of  1879  I  was  looking  for  the 
establishment  of  a  new  army  post  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Spokane  River.  While  in  camp  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river  and  in  view  of  the  San 
Poels,  or  Sheep-Eaters,  I  was  visited  by  a  delega 
tion  from  that  tribe,  who  were  solicitous  for  entire 
and  absolute  independence  of  all  white  men  and  all 
Indians.  The  acting  chief,  a  tooat,  was  lame  and 
much  given  to  visions.  His  dreams,  when  I  was  in 
the  neighborhood,  were  extraordinary,  but  sensible, 
and  I  anticipated  no  great  trouble  from  his  people, 
who  were  temperate  and  industrious.  The  sub 
stance  of  this  man's  dreaming  was  the  prayer  of 
an  aged  Presbyterian  divine  who  had  visited  the 
tribe  when  he  was  young.  This  prayer  had  re 
mained  in  his  memory  and  appeared  to  be  leading 
him  to  good  and  high  aspirations.  At  frequent  in 
tervals  he  would  point  to  approaching  serious 


422          MY  LIFE   AND   PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

troubles  with  the  wild  tribes  in  and  around  the 
fearfully  rugged  Salmon  River  country  —  often 
called  "  The  Land  of  the  Seven  Devils"  -and 
would  urge  immediate  preparations  to  meet  and 
resist  the  same. 

I  had  not  long  been  returned  to  Vancouver,  my 
headquarters,  before  I  received  a  dispatch  stating 
that  the  Indian  agent  at  Lemhi  had  reported  a  re 
volting  murder  of  miners  at  a  place  called  Oro 
Grande,  on  Loon  Creek,  about  eighty-five  miles 
northwest  of  Boise.  General  McDowell,  the  di 
vision  commander,  directed  me  to  send  troops  from 
Boise  as  soon  as  the  trail  could  be  traveled,  for  the 
purpose  of  investigating  this  murder  and  other 
alarming  reports  coming  from  the  rough  Salmon 
River  country.  I  was  already  advised  of  these 
troubles,  and  was  convinced  that  hostile  Indians 
of  the  previous  year  had  united  with  the  Sheep- 
Eaters  on  the  Middle  Fork  of  the  Salmon  River 
for  the  warpath.  In  addition  to  the  troops  from 
Boise,  I  ordered  another  command  from  Camp 
Howard,  near  Mt.  Idaho,  to  prepare  to  take  the 
field  as  soon  as  it  might  be  possible  to  cross  the 
rugged  mountains  between  the  Snake  River  and 
the  South  and  Middle  Forks  of  the  Salmon. 

Anticipating  trouble  at  various  places,  because 
of  the  reappearance  of  some  of  the  hostile  Nez 
Perces  who  escaped  to  British  America  after  the 
Nez  Perce  campaign  of  1877,  and  hostile  demon 
strations  by  Pi-Utes  and  Bannocks  who  had  par 
ticipated  in  the  war  of  1878,  and  wishing  to  keep 
well  informed  and  strike  effectively,  I  ordered 
Lieutenant  Edward  S.  Farrow  of  the  Twenty-first 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  425 

Infantry,  fresh  from  West  Point  and  full  of  ac 
tivity,  to  enlist  a  company  of  Indian  scouts  and  to 
form  a  detachment  of  picked  men,  selected  for 
endurance  and  their  skill  in  marksmanship.  I 
placed  these  Indian  scouts  and  sharpshooters  under 
the  independent  command  of  Lieutenant  Farrow, 
gave  him  private  instructions,  and  sent  him  in  the 
direction  where  the  hostile  Nez  Perces  had  been 
reported.  I  then  gave  orders  to  the  commanding 
officer  at  Boise  to  send  a  troop  of  cavalry,  under 
command  of  Captain  Bernard,  to  Challis,  Idaho, 
with  instructions  to  operate  from  that  point,  indi 
cating  that  when  the  command  sent  from  Camp 
Howard  reached  Bernard  that  he  should  command 
both  columns.  The  same  instructions,  in  substance, 
went  to  the  commanding  officer  at  Camp  Howard, 
to  operate  toward  Challis  and  unite  with  Bernard 
as  soon  as  possible.  These  instructions  were 
promptly  carried  into  effect,  the  troops  starting 
early  in  June ;  but  great  delay  was  occasioned  ow 
ing  to  impassable  trails,  the  fearfully  rough  coun 
try,  and  the  deep  snows  through  which  the  com 
mands  had  to  dig  their  way  in  order  to  reach  the 
roaming  ground  of  the  Indians. 

On  July  6th  Bernard  dispatched  me  these 
words :  "  To  enable  us  to  get  up  the  Middle  Salmon 
a  trail  through  timber  and  rocks  had  to  be  made 
all  the  way. ' '  This  was  done  with  the  river,  already 
a  flood,  constantly  rising,  so  that  crossing  and  re- 
crossing  the  swift  torrent  became  extremely  slow 
and  difficult.  Bernard  added:  "The  mountains 
closed  in,  forming  such  a  canyon  as  to  cause  us  to 
leave  the  river  and  try  the  mountains,  which  were 


426  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

covered  with  snow  and  very  rocky.  .  .  .  Pack 
rnules  were  carried  down  stream,  having  rolled 
down  the  mountains,  causing  the  loss  of  many 
rations  and  other  supplies." 

Lieutenant  Catley,  leading  the  force  from 
Camp  Howard,  reported  from  Warrens,  a  hamlet 
near  the  South  Fork  of  the  Salmon,  that  nothing 
could  be  done  toward  getting  into  the  country 
where  the  Indians  were  supposed  to  be  until  later, 
when  more  of  the  snow  was  gone.  The  middle  of 
June  he  had  gone  only  seven  miles  from  Warrens 
and  was  obliged  to  turn  back  because  it  was  ab 
solutely  impossible  to  get  through.  It  was  not 
until  the  llth  of  July  that  he  succeeded  in  getting 
into  the  region  of  the  Salmon  Eiver  country  and 
camped  on  the  South  Fork. 

On  the  15th  of  July  Bernard  reported  from 
Cape  Horn  Valley  that  "  The  country  was  rougher 
than  any  of  the  United  States,  and  to  get  at  the 
Indians  would  be  a  work  of  great  difficulty.  Should 
they  discover  us  before  we  do  them,  they  can  hide 
in  the  timbered  Rocky  Mountains  for  a  long  time, 
and  go  from  point  to  point  much  faster  than  we 
can,  even  if  we  knew  where  to  go."  He  added: 
' '  We  have  traveled  over  much  country  that  no 
white  man  ever  saw  before ;  old  guides  and  miners 
declared  that  we  could  not  get  through  at  all." 

Lieutenant  Farrow,  with  his  command,  crossed 
the  Blue  Mountains  and  moved  with  celerity  to  the 
Snake  River,  which  he  crossed  at  Brownlee's  Ferry 
on  July  llth.  By  the  16th  of  July  he  reported  from 
Council  Valley  that  he  had  found  signs  of  Indians 
near  Wood  Creek.  After  two  days'  pursuit  he 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  427 

dispersed  these  Indians,  they  seeking  refuge  on  the 
Lapwai  and  Lemhi  reservations.  Lieutenant  Far 
row  then  gave  his  attention  to  an  organized  band 
of  marauding  horse  thieves,  whom  he  pursued  to 
the  highest  peaks  of  the  Seven  Devil  Mountains, 
where  he  dispersed  them  and  captured  a  large  lot 
of  stock  and  supplies  stolen  from  the  government. 
Several  notorious  Indians,  prominent  in  the  cam 
paigns  of  1877  and  1878,  were  in  company  with 
these  marauders,  and  these  Lieutenant  Farrow, 
after  capture,  impressed  as  guides  and  scouts.  He 
then  proceeded  in  search  of  the  reported  returning 
Nez  Perces,  having  ascertained  the  then  where 
abouts  of  the  commands  of  Bernard  and  Catley. 

The  three  commanders  slowly  and  cautiously 
forced  their  way  through  that  impassable  country 
like  hunters  in  search  of  wildest  game.  On  the  5th 
of  August  a  message  came  to  me  from  Bernard  to 
the  effect  that  he  had  just  received  a  dispatch  from 
Lieutenant  Catley  stating  that  the  Indians  had  at 
tacked  and  defeated  his  command  on  July  29th, 
and  had  captured  his  pack  train  and  all  supplies. 
The  force  of  Indians  was  reported  as  well  posted 
on  Big  Creek,  a  stream  that  flowed  from  the  west 
and  emptied  into  the  Middle  Fork  of  the  Salmon. 

About  this  time  Lieutenant  Farrow  was  ad 
vised  by  couriers  of  Catley 's  defeat.  He  at  once 
caghed  his  supplies  and  equipage,  and,  living  off 
the  country,  made  forced  marches  in  the  shortest 
line  across  mountains  and  canyons  to  Catley 's  re 
lief.  After  five  days  of  terrific  forced  marches 
Farrow  camped  with  Catley 's  retreating  command 
on  the  South  Fork  of  the  Salmon  at  Rains  Cross- 


428  MY  LITE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

ing.  Leaving  a  few  of  his  footsore  men  and  horses 
with  Catley,  Lieutenant  Farrow  crossed  the  South 
Fork  of  the  Salmon  at  daybreak  the  next  morning 
and  hastened  in  the  direction  of  Big  Creek,  the 
scene  of  Catley  ?s  disaster. 

Catley  accounted  for  his  misfortune  by  saying 
that  his  command  struck  an  ambuscade  from 
which,  after  determining  that  it  was  impossible  to 
do  anything  because  the  Indians  were  lodged  in  a 
point  of  rocks  across  the  creek,  where  they  had  so 
fortified  themselves  that  their  exact  location  could 
not  be  discovered,  he  took  the  responsibility  of 
ordering  a  prompt  retreat  some  two  miles  up  the 
creek  to  a  point  which  he  thought  could  be  held 
defensively.  Here  he  camped  one  night,  and  the 
next  morning,  putting  his  wounded  men  upon  hand 
litters,  he  moved  up  a  steep  ridge  which  he  be 
lieved  would  lead  him  into  the  mountains  and  back 
to  the  trail  by  which  he  had  come.  But  here,  un 
fortunately,  he  lost  his  way,  and  to  make  matters 
worse  the  Indians  kept  ahead  of  him,  occupying 
rocky  points  on  his  right  and  left.  Completely 
surrounded  by  Indians,  he  finally  ordered  the  pack 
train  unloaded  and  instructed  his  men  to  take  such 
cover  as  they  could  find  in  the  rocks  and  behind  the 
cargo,  and  hold  the  position  if  possible  should  the 
Indians  attempt  to  approach. 

To  increase  his  troubles  the  Indians  set  fire  to 
the  grass  and  timber.  The  base  of  the  mountain 
seemed  to  be  entirely  on  fire.  The  wind  was  high, 
and  the  terrible  roaring  of  flames  and  dense  clouds 
of  smoke  seemed  to  approach  from  every  direction. 
The  heroic  efforts  of  his  men  in  "  counter-firing  " 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  429 

prevented  the  singed  and  scorched  command  from 
immediate  destruction.  As  soon  as  possible,  after 
dark,  the  command  moved  slowly  and  quietly  down 
the  precipitous  side  of  the  mountain,  having  aban 
doned  all  public  property  and  personal  effects. 
His  condition  was  such  after  the  loss  of  his  prop 
erty,  supplies,  animals,  equipage,  and  clothing, 
that  he  at  once  decided  to  return  to  Camp  Howard. 
The  back  movement  of  Lieutenant  Catley  was 
promptly  arrested  by  Colonel  Wheaton,  from  Fort 
Lapwai,  as  soon  as  the  report  of  the  defeat  reached 
him.  Captain  Forse  of  the  First  Cavalry,  with  his 
company,  was  hurriedly  sent  out  to  reinforce  Cat- 
ley  and  turn  him  toward  the  Indians,  and  in  sup 
port  of  Farrow,  who  was  then  advancing  into  the 
Sheep-Eater  country.  On  August  24th  I  hurriedly 
sent  dispatches  to  Bernard,  stating  that  the  In 
dians  had  been  encouraged  by  Catley 's  defeat,  that 
the  trouble  was  extending,  and  urging  every  ac 
tivity  in  promptly  moving  on  the  Indians.  In 
answer  I  received  a  more  hopeful  dispatch  from 
Bernard,  saying  that  "  Farrow  (30  miles  ahead  of 
him)  was  pursuing  the  hostile  Indians  down  the 
Middle  Salmon  canyon,  had  captured  thirty-five 
horses,  and  had  caused  them  to  abandon  all  their 
luggage. ' '  Bernard,  now  joined  by  Forse,  followed 
Farrow's  trail  down  Big  Creek  to  the  Middle  Fork 
of  the  Salmon  and  went  into  camp  where  Farrow 
was  recuperating  after  his  plunging  pursuit  down 
the  Middle  Salmon  canyon.  From  this  camp  Ber 
nard  sent  me  a  dispatch  saying:  "  The  country  is 
so  rough  that  animals  cannot  be  got  through  at  all. 
All  our  stock  except  a  few  of  Captain  Forse 's 


430  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

horses  and  the  animals  captured  by  Farrow  are 
exhausted.  Most  of  our  horses  and  mules  have 
given  out  and  have  been  shot/' 

It  seemed  so  impossible  to  capture  these  flying 
Indians,  who  ran  from  peak  to  peak  faster  than  the 
troops  could  follow,  and,  realizing  the  intense  suf 
fering  of  the  troops  engaged,  I  at  last  sent  orders 
for  Bernard,  if  in  his  judgment  it  was  impossible 
to  do  more  than  had  been  done,  to  leave  that  fearful 
country  and  distribute  his  forces  to  the  posts  where 
they  belonged.  Bernard  acted  promptly  on  this 
order,  and  with  his  own  command  proceeded  south 
ward  to  Boise.  Forse  and  Farrow  went  westward 
to  the  South  Fork  of  the  Salmon  on  the  trail  made 
by  Catley  in  his  retreat.  Upon  reaching  the  South 
Fork  hostile  Indians  were  seen  near  by,  and  sev 
eral  prospectors  were  attacked  and  killed,  while 
numerous  signal  smokes  indicated  that  the  Indians 
were  following  Forse  and  Farrow  and  would  doubt 
less  attack  all  ranches  south  and  west  of  Warrens 
after  the  troops  had  left  that  section  of  the  country. 

In  view  of  this  situation  Lieutenant  Farrow 
remained  in  camp  on  the  South  Fork  of  the  Salmon 
to  watch  the  Indians  until  all  whites  could  get  out 
of  the  neighboring  country,  while  Captain  Forse 
proceeded  to  his  post  at  Fort  Lapwai. 

Lieutenant  Farrow  now  abandoned  most  of 
his  equipage  and  with  a  portion  of  his  command 
advanced  upon  the  Indians  once  more  and  finally 
attacked  them  in  their  stronghold  on  the  Middle 
Fork  of  the  Salmon.  After  numerous  assaults, 
finally  flanking  the  Indian  position  and  destroying 
the  Indian  camp,  he  forced  the  entire  band  to 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  431 

surrender,  and  then  by  sixty-two  days  of  march 
ing  through  fearful  snows  over  rugged  mountains 
he  reached  the  Columbia  River  with  his  captive 
tribe  and  delivered  them  to  me  at  Vancouver 
Barracks  as  prisoners  of  war,  thus  enabling  me  to 
fully  realize  every  hope  I  may  have  had  as  to 
the  favorable  outcome  of  this  most  hazardous 
expedition. 

In  my  order  of  congratulation  I  stated  that 
"  the  men  in  this  expedition,  one  and  all,  deserve 
special  mention  for  gallantry,  energy,  and  perse 
verance,  resulting  in  success." 

As  a  reward  for  his  services  in  this  campaign, 
Lieutenant  Farrow  has  a  brevet  commission  signed 
by  President  Cleveland. 

When  Lieutenant  Farrow  brought  his  Indian 
prisoners  to  Fort  Vancouver  it  was  the  head 
quarters  of  the  Twenty-first  Infantry,  with  six 
companies  present  for  duty.  Colonel  Henry  A. 
Morrow,  who  was  a  general  by  brevet  and  had  been 
my  comrade  in  the  Civil  War,  was  in  command  of 
the  regiment,  and  the  post  captain,  John  A.  Kress, 
who  had  been  a  lieutenant-colonel  of  volunteers 
on  the  staff  of  General  Wadsworth,  was  in  com 
mand  of  the  Vancouver  Arsenal.  Upon  arrival  at 
the  post  these  Sheep-Eater  Indian  prisoners  were 
the  objects  of  curious  scrutiny.  For  the  most  part 
they  were  substantially  the  same  as  the  Bannocks 
in  manners  and  customs,  but  dressed  in  scanty 
attire  of  mountain  sheep  and  other  skins.  The 
band  was  composed  of  Bannocks,  Pi-Utes,  Snakes, 
Nez  Perces,  and  Cayuses.  One  of  the  Bannocks 
had  been  a  spy  for  Buffalo  Horn  and  Egan  during 


432  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

the  Indian  campaign  of  1878.  When  I  was  en 
camped  at  Sheep  Ranch,  actively  engaged  in  the 
Bannock  campaign,  this  Indian  came  to  my  head 
quarters  and  so  won  my  regard  and  the  confidence 
of  those  about  me  that  I  decided  to  send  a  message 
by  him  from  that  point  some  two  hundred  miles  to 
Camp  Harney.  As  he  was  more  loyal  to  the  other 
side  he  carried  my  dispatches  straight  to  Chief  Egan 
(the  enemy)  in  Stem's  Mountains  instead  of  to 
Camp  Harney.  This  Bannock  spy  was  the  only 
one  of  all  the  Indians  in  the  Northwest  that  I  had 
to  do  with  directly  who  played  me  false. 

It  was  not  long  before  confidence  and  con 
tentment  reigned  throughout  the  encampment. 
Sarah  Winnemucca  visited  Fort  Vancouver  about 
this  time,  and  as  an  interpreter  rendered  invalu 
able  service  in  arriving  at  a  better  understanding 
of  the  Indian  prisoners  and  their  needs,  and  in 
stituted  a  good  school  for  the  children  and  others 
and  began  teaching  them  English. 

Major  Kress  was  the  superintendent  of  our 
Sunday-school,  and  Indians,  old  and  young,  were 
gathered  into  that.  In  this  the  ladies  of  the  gar 
rison  became  teachers,  and,  with  Sarah,  they  had 
sewing  classes  and  proper  instructions  in  that  line. 
General  Morrow  set  the  Indians  to  work,  being  de 
lighted  at  the  opportunity  to  relieve  his  soldiers 
from  ordinary  and  extraordinary  police  duty. 
The  Indians  came  out  of  the  guard-house  to  white 
wash  the  fences,  make  paths,  build  and  improve 
roads,  and  to  put  the  whole  outer  face  of  things  in 
prime  condition. 

I  often  watched  groups  of  these  Indians  while 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  433 

they  were  at  work.  They  never  appeared  to  re 
lax  their  energy  and  effort  to  do  everything  re 
quired  of  them,  and  to  do  it  well.  The  spy, 
taking  with  him  two  other  Indians,  succeeded  in 
making  his  escape,  crossing  the  broad  Columbia, 
and  disappearing  in  the  forests  of  Oregon.  I  did 
not  blame  him  much  for  getting  away  as  soon  as 
possible,  even  after  he  had  made  his  solemn  prom 
ise  to  obey  all  regulations  and  to  remain  at  Van 
couver  till  properly  released,  because  he  was  con 
scious  all  the  while  of  having  done  those  things  in 
war  which  would  subject  him  to  the  severest 
penalty,  and  as  he  knew  that  the  white  man  could 
not  really  trust  him  he  was  not  willing  to  trust  Gen 
eral  Morrow's  word  as  to  his  own  safety. 

As  a  rule,  when  an  Indian  looked  in  my  face 
and  gave  me  his  promise  to  do  a  certain  thing,  he 
was  scrupulous  to  perform  that  promise.  Some 
one  asked  me  after  my  long  experience  among  In 
dians  if  I  did  not  find  them  treacherous.  I  an 
swered:  "No,  not  so  much  so  as  the  Anglo- 
Saxon."  I  did  not  mean  to  say  that  they  were  not 
as  outrageous  as  they  possibly  could  be  during  the 
activities  of  what  they  called  "  war,"  but  that  after 
the  war  was  over  none  of  them  ever  entered  into  a 
deliberate  plan  to  deceive  and  injure  me  and  mine 
as  many  an  educated  white  man  has  done. 


26 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

AMONG  THE  SPOKANES  — I  AM  WELCOMED  BY  CHIEF  LOT  — 
RELIGIOUS   SERVICES   AMONG   INDIANS  — IN 
STANCES  OF  INDIAN  GRATITUDE. 

The  Spokanes  —  A  Filibustering  Indian  —  Chief  Lot  —  Preparations 
for  a  Wedding  —  An  Indian  Bride  —  Listening  to  Indian  Songs  — 
Trying  to  Build  "  a  Bona  fide  White  Man's  House  "  —  A  Queer 
Piece  of  Architecture  —  Religious  Service  With  the  Spokanes  —  In 
dian  Confessions  —  Shedding  Tears  of  Contrition  —  A  Dissenting 
Old  Indian  Woman  —  "  Sit  Down,  My  Girl,  Sit  Down !  "  —  Chief 
Lot's  Confession  —  My  Indian  Escort  —  Preparations  for  Leaving 
the  Department  of  the  Columbia  —  Unexpected  Appearance  of  Lot 
—  His  Journey  of  Five  Hundred  Miles  to  Bid  Me  Good-bye  — 
"  You  Must  Not  Go !  "  —  Instances  of  Indian  Gratitude. 

DURING  the  summer  following  our  council 
at  Fort  Simcoe,  I  caused  my  aide-de-camp, 
Captain  Wilkinson,  in  company  with,  the 
Indian  inspector,  Colonel  E.  C.  Watkins,  to  meet 
several  kindred  bands  of  Indians  in  a  council 
to  be  held  at  Spokane  Falls.  The  Colville  Indians, 
the  Upper  Spokanes,  the  Okanagans,  the  Coeur- 
d'Alenes,  and  the  Lower  Spokanes  were  all  repre 
sented.  The  agent  at  Colville  nominally  had  these 
Indians  in  charge,  but  they  were  not  all  upon 
reservations. 

The  Spokanes  under  different  chiefs  were  very 
much  scattered.  Those  off  from  reservations  were 
grouped,  several  of  them  under  Chief  Moses,  and 
several  others  under  Spokane  Garry,  who  had 
achieved  a  great  war  record  in  his  early  life,  but 
during  the  councils  showed  himself  more  of  a 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  435 

lawyer  than  a  fighter.  At  one  time,  in  a  council 
at  which  I  was  present,  I  thought  that  Garry  could 
make  the  longest  speech  of  any  Indian  I  had  ever 
listened  to,  and  he  knew  how  to  filibuster  like  a 
congressman  when  he  had  a  point  to  gain  by  con 
tinuous  talking.  .  Garry  ?s  main  desire  was  to  have 
a  reservation  set  apart  for  himself  and  his  follow 
ers.  His  own  band  did  not  exceed  three  hundred, 
but  he  hoped  to  increase  his  importance  by  having 
several  bands  collected  and  placed  by  the  govern 
ment  under  his  leadership. 

Spokane  Garry  was  short  in  stature,  dressed  in 
citizens'  clothing,  and  wore  his  hair  cut  very  short 
for  an  Indian.  He  was  shriveled,  blear-eyed,  and 
repulsive  in  appearance,  but  wiry  and  tough,  and 
still  able  to  endure  great  fatigue,  though  he  must 
have  been  at  least  seventy  years  of  age. 

The  results  of  the  councils  at  Spokane  Falls 
were  quite  satisfactory.  All  the  renegades  and 
Spokanes  off  from  reservations  secured  from 
Colonel  Watkins  the  promise  of  a  new  and  ample 
reservation,  with  metes  and  bounds  well  defined, 
and  in  return  for  this  promise  they  agreed  to  keep 
the  peace  during  the  threatened  Indian  troubles 
whose  shadow  was  already  upon  us.  Altogether 
there  were  between  three  thousand  and  four  thou 
sand  Indians  represented  at  these  councils. 

The  year  before  I  had  gone  from  band  to  band 
and  made  some  observations.  When  I  first  struck 
a  portion  of  the  Lower  Spokanes  they  were  in 
camp  near  a  bridge  that  led  over  the  Spokane 
Eiver  on  the  Colville  wagon  road.  They  were  liv 
ing  in  lodges  built  like  those  of  the  Flatheads  and 


436  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

the  Blackfeet,  erected  with  good  lodge-poles  and 
covered  with  canvas  and  skins.  I  was  welcomed 
by  them,  and  on  my  approach  to  their  camp  their 
chief,  by  the  name  of  Lot,  came  out  to  meet  me  at 
the  head  of  a  small  company.  Lot  was  a  man  of 
remarkable  height;  he  spoke  a  little  English,  but 
preferred  to  use  the  "  Chinook  "  in  his  intercourse 
with  white  men. 

We  pitched  our  camp  close  to  the  river  and  not 
far  from  the  Indian  lodges.  These  Indians  had 
been  taught  by  an  old  missionary  wiiom  they  called 
"  Father  Eells,"  and  were  decidedly  Presbyterian. 
That  night  a  weary  but  faithful  minister,  with  a 
halting  gait,  joined  us  at  the  bridge,  having  come 
some  distance  from  Spokane  Falls  obedient  to  the 
call  of  the  Indians.  He  was  to  officiate  at  a  wed 
ding.  It  appeared  that  a  rough  white  man,  Rich 
ards  by  name,  had  been  living  near  the  bridge  and 
had  traded  extensively  with  the  Indians  and  fra 
ternized  with  them  more  than  with  white  men.  He 
had  become  attached  to  an  Indian  maiden  who  had 
consented  to  become  his  wife,  and  the  minister  was 
on  hand  to  marry  them.  The  ceremony  was  con 
ducted  after  the  simple  form  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  and  had  nothing  remarkable  about  it.  The 
girl  wras  very  young  and  bashful,  but  she  seemed 
happy  to  accept  the  white  man.  I  wondered  that 
she  did  not  prefer  one  of  the  young  Indians  to  that 
rough  and  uncouth  specimen  of  the  Anglo-Saxon 
race,  whose  appearance  indicated  that  he  was  what 
is  called  in  that  country  a  "  squaw-man." 

After  the  wedding,  which  took  place  in  the  even 
ing,  the  Indians  returned  to  their  lodges.  Soon 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  437 

Indian  songs  sung  in  Indian  words  to  tunes  that 
were  familiar  to  me  from  childhood  arose  from 
every  lodge  and  produced  a  strange  effect  upon  us 
all.  The  singing  was  part  of  their  evening  wor 
ship  and  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  wedding. 

After  the  Indian  wars  of  1877  and  1878  were 
over  I  accompanied  two  Presbyterian  ministers  to 
the  home  of  a  very  ambitious  Indian  who  had  es 
sayed  to  build  something  beyond  the  common  lodge, 
namely,  a  bona  fide  white  man's  house.  A  few  In 
dians  had  secured  some  land  thickly  covered  with 
trees  and  on  this  Spokane  William  had  erected  his 
dwelling.  The  house  measured,  I  should  judge, 
about  forty  feet  each  way,  and  its  plan  was  as 
nearly  square  as  the  Indian  could  lay  it  out.  It 
had  a  roof,  and  a  door  in  one  corner,  but  there  was 
not  a  window  or  a  fireplace  in  it,  and  nothing  be 
tween  the  ground  and  the  rafters.  But  it  was  a 
beginning,  and  William  was  proud  of  it. 

The  day  we  were  there  the  ministers  held  a  re 
ligious  service  with  the  Indians.  The  Spokanes 
came  in  and  filled  William's  house.  They  sat  on 
the  ground,  all  facing  toward  a  table,  while  the 
ministers  and  guests  occupied  the  few  chairs  that 
William  possessed.  Chief  Lot  was  present,  and 
sat  upon  the  edge  of  the  table.  The  singing  was 
similar  to  that  I  had  heard  in  the  Spokane  lodges 
on  the  evening  of  the  wedding ;  the  reading  of  the 
Scriptures  and  the  sermon  preached  by  one  of  the 
ministers  wTere  translated  by  a  good  interpreter. 

After  the  regular  service  communion  was  par 
taken  of.  It  was  customary  for  those  frontier 
ministers  to  require  short  talks  and  confessions 


438  MY  LITE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

from  Indians  who  had  departed  from  the  faith, 
or  been  guilty  of  trangressions  according  to  the 
Bible  code  which  Father  Eells  had  given  them. 
One  after  another  arose  and  confessed.  One  young 
Indian  said  that  he  had  taken  two  horses  from  a 
white  man,  but  that  he  had  restored  them,  and  he 
was  very  sorry  for  his  conduct  and  would  never 
again  steal.  Others,  both  men  and  women,  con 
fessed  the  specific  sins  which  they  had  committed. 
They  shed  tears  of  contrition,  all  ending  with 
promises  to  do  their  best  in  future.  At  last  a  very 
sharp-voiced  Indian  woman  rose  in  the  back  part 
of  the  house  and,  talking  with  great  rapidity, 
seemed  to  be  indulging  in  crimination  and  fault 
finding.  I  could  not  understand  her,  but  as  I  was 
looking  toward  Lot  I  saw  him  rise  slowly  to  his 
full  height  and  then  lift  up  his  hand  and  wave  it 
downward  with  considerable  emphasis.  The  inter 
preter  told  me  that  Lot  said :  "  Sit  down,  my  girl, 
sit  down!  r 

She  dropped  down,  when  he  added:  "  We  can 
confess  our  own  sins ;  we  have  a  right  to  do  that, 
but  we  have  no  right  to  confess  other  people's 


sins. ' 


When  Chief  Lot's  turn  came  he  owned  that  he 
had  not  always  done  what  he  ought  to  have  done 
and  had  sometimes  set  a  bad  example  to  the  people 
of  his  band,  but  he  was  sorry,  and  he  purposed  with 
all  his  soul  to  lead  a  good  and  Christian  life  here 
after. 

On  a  later  visit  to  the  north  I  heard  that  Lot 
and  his  Indians  were  much  troubled  and  persecuted 
by  white  settlers.  They  had  gone  to  a  portion  of 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  439 

the  country  far  above  the  Spokane  River  and  high 
up  among  the  hills,  where  they  had  found  a  fertile, 
well-watered  plain.  Lot  had  there  between  four 
thousand  and  five  thousand  acres  of  good  land  en 
closed  by  a  fence.  Along  the  borders  of  this  com 
mon  territory  Indian  houses,  barns,  and  lodges 
were  located  at  intervals  within  this  fence,  and  fair 
crops  appeared  near  every  building  and  lodge. 
They  were  living  upon  and  cultivating  part  of  the 
public  land,  but  they  had  no  reservation  and  no 
visible  right  to  remain  there. 

Lot  heard  of  my  coming  and  just  at  night  came 
out  some  ten  or  twelve  miles  to  meet  me,  accom 
panied  by  twenty  Indians.  They  were  greatly  de 
lighted  that  I  had  come.  We  encamped  near  a 
stream  of  water  in  the  woods.  In  that  bivouac— 
it  was  more  of  a  bivouac  than  a  camp,  for  we  had 
no  tent— I  did  not  feel  the  same  sense  of  danger 
that  I  did  among  the  Apaches,  the  non-treaty  Nez 
Perces,  or  among  the  Pi-Utes,  when  at  my  first 
visit  they  sang  their  wild  songs.  Lot  and  his 
people,  though  very  little  advanced  in  our  customs, 
were  nevertheless  Christian  Indians.  They  were 
trying  to  square  their  conduct  by  a  good  code  of 
morals. 

On  looking  over  the  land  that  Lot  had  selected 
I  tried  to  persuade  him  to  have  his  Indians  take  up 
the  land  in  severalty,  as  the  settlers  do  after  public- 
surveys  have  been  made,  but  he  said  to  me:  "  I 
cannot  do  it.  Only  a  few  of  us  would  know  how, 
and  we  have  no  money  to  pay  what  the  land  office 
demands.  A  few  might  learn  to  do  that  kind  of 
farming,  but  most  of  our  Indians  would  perish  if 


440  MY  LITE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

they  tried  to  get  a  living  on  farms  of  their  own. 
They  cannot  do  it.  Set  apart  a  tract  big  enough 
for  us  all  and  we  can  cultivate  it  together,  and  I 
will  see  that  the  old  and  infirm  and  the  children 
are  fed  and  taken  care  of." 

I  protected  Lot  as  well  as  I  could  until  1880, 
when  the  President  and  General  Sherman  made  a 
visit  to  Oregon.  Then  I  had  the  papers  made  out 
for  setting  apart  the  tract  which  Chief  Lot  had 
selected  and  was  then  cultivating.  General  Sher 
man  joined  me  heartily  in  recommending  the  re 
serve,  and  signed  his  name  to  the  paper,  and  Presi 
dent  Hayes  gladly  added  his  strong  approval. 
Many  greedy  white  men,  who  believed  that  Indians 
had  no  rights  which  a  white  man  ought  to  respect, 
were  much  chagrined  at  this  action,  but,  fortu 
nately,  they  could  not  overturn  it,  so  that  Lot  and 
his  people  were  made  happy  in  spite  of  the  con 
tinued  and  bitter  opposition  of  their  white  neigh 
bors. 

When  I  \vas  about  to  leave  the  Department  of 
the  Columbia  for  the  East  and  had  gone  on  board 
the  San  Francisco  steamer  lying  at  the  dock  in 
Portland,  and  had  entered  my  room  for  the  night 
to  get  a  good  sleep  and  be  ready  for  a  very  early 
start  the  next  morning,  my  door  was  suddenly 
darkened  by  a  tall  human  form.  I  turned  and  saw 
that  it  was  an  Indian  dressed  in  citizen's  clothing, 
but  with  a  blanket  over  his  head  and  shoulders. 
As  soon  as  he  spoke  I  recognized  Lot.  He  had 
come  all  the  way  from  his  reservation  above  the 
Spokane  to  Wallula  on  horseback  and  thence  down 
the  river  by  steamers,  and  had  arrived  in  Portland 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  441 

just  in  time  to  see  me  before  my  departure.  It 
deeply  touched  me  to  learn  that  an  Indian  would 
travel  over  five  hundred  miles  in  the  way  I  have 
described  to  bid  me  good-bye  before  my  final  fare 
well  to  the  Pacific  Coast.  I  instinctively  thought 
that  my  going  had  troubled  the  veteran  chief,  and 
that  he  probably  had  some  special  message  for  me. 
He  began  by  reciting  some  of  the  things  that  I  had 
done.  He  spoke  of  our  meeting  at  different  times, 
and  of  my  giving  him  a  reservation  and  having  it 
confirmed  by  the  approval  of  General  Sherman 
and  the  President. 

"Now,"  said  Lot,  "  after  all  this  you  go 
away?  ': 

"  Yes,"  I  said,  "  I  must  go.  The  President  has 
ordered  me  to  go  East,  and  I  must  obey  his  orders 
as  your  men  obey  yours." 

"But,"  he  entreated,  "you  must  not  go;  you 
cannot  go!  You  are  the  Indians'  friend.  If  you 
stay  everything  will  go  on  right,  but  if  you  go  the 
white  men  around  me  will  get  my  land  and  there 
will  be  trouble.  You  must  not  go !  r 

The  old  man's  voice  was  tender  and  his  eyes 
were  full  of  tears  as  he  pleaded  with  me  in  better 
broken  English  than  I  thought  he  could  command. 
His  fears  were  quieted  before  we  separated.  Prob 
ably  before  he  came  to  me  he  was  convinced  that  I 
wrould  obey  my  orders  and  go  to  my  new  depart 
ment,  but  he  could  not  refrain  from  expressing  his 
gratitude  and  confidence,  and  his  strong  desire  for 
me  to  remain. 

This  was  the  third  incident  in  which  an  Indian 
had  shown  strong  emotion  and  good  will  on  parting 


442  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

with  me.  Cochise  had  embraced  me  twice  and 
spoken  very  gently  and  expressed  a  wish  for  me  to 
stay ;  Moses  had  taken  me  by  the  hand  and  looked 
in  my  face  and  said  that  he  would  come  to  me 
whenever  I  should  call  him,  but  Lot  had  traveled 
over  five  hundred  miles  to  see  me,  and  had  shown 
all  the  tenderness  and  affection  of  a  brother  when 
he  bade  me  good-bye.  These  are  recollections 
which  show  a  oneness  in  the  love  and  sympathy 
which  is  a  common  heritage  of  God's  children  of 
every  race,  and  give  me  special  satisfaction. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES  AMONG  THE  CROWS  — A  TRIBE  OF 

WARRIORS  AND  THIEVES  —  SECRET  HELPERS 

OF  OUR  FOES. 

The  Crow  Reservation  —  An  Ingenious  Plot  —  Meeting  a  Delegation  of 
Mounted  Crows  —  Fraternizing  with  Our  Indian  Scouts  —  A  Crow 
Escort  —  A  Tribe  of  Thieves  —  Finding  Bodies  of  White  Men  — 
Marriage  Customs  of  the  Crows  —  Their  Dress  and  Personal  Ap 
pearance —  Religious  Belief  —  Looking  Forward  to  a  Coming  Mes 
siah  —  Settlers'  Opinion  of  the  Crows  —  "  Thieves,  Marauders,  and 
Murderers"  —  Justly  Entitled  to  Their  Reputation  —  Bad  Feeling 
Between  the  Sioux  and  Crows  —  A  Nomadic  Tribe  —  Full  of  War 
and  Revenge  —  Incidents  of  Life  Among  the  Crows  —  A  Reign  of 
Terror  —  Driving  Them  from  Their  Reservation. 

IN  my  account  of  the  Nez  Perce  war  I  described 
how  our  columns  followed  the  Nez  Perces 
through  the  Yellowstone  Park  and  then,  turn 
ing  gradually  northward,  went  from  Wyoming  into 
Montana  in  a  northeasterly  direction.  As  we  de 
scended  from  Hart  Mountain  we  touched  the  Crow 
reservation.  The  Crow  Indians  were  the  secret 
helpers  of  our  foes.  Some  of  them  succeeded  in 
turning  General  Sturgis  away  from  his  camping 
ground  and  leading  him  and  his  command  some 
forty  miles  out  of  the  way  of  Joseph's  advance  just 
at  the  right  time. 

Undoubtedly  this  ingenious  plot  was  carried 
out  by  Joseph's  scouts,  but  the  Crows  very  kindly 
gave  the  scouts  the  information  that  enabled  them 
to  guide  the  hostiles  through  a  safe  pass  that  they 
might  without  material  interruption  continue  their 


444  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

eastern  march  toward  the  British  territory,  where 
Sitting  Bull  was  at  that  time.  As  soon  as  I  arrived 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Crows  a  mounted  dele 
gation  of  them,  with  bright  faces,  came  straight  to 
me  from  the  Indian  agent  with  profuse  offers  of 
hospitality.  They  were,  however,  a  little  over- 
friendly,  and  I  suspected  at  the  time  that  their 
duplicity  had  misled  Sturgis. 

It  was  surprising  to  see  how  quickly  they  would 
pick  up  a  stray  horse,  and  how  ready  they  were  at 
the  first  opportunity  after  detection  to  return  any 
thing  that  belonged  to  our  camps.  Like  the  Flat- 
heads,  as  soon  as  they  came  near  us  they  frater 
nized  with  our  Indian  scouts,— the  Bannocks  under 
Buffalo  Horn,  and  the  few  Nez  Perces  who  were 
with  us.  A  group  of  them,  not  very  well  dressed, 
nor  as  fine  appearing  as  the  Flatheads,  but  always 
well  mounted,  kept  along  beside  our  marching  col 
umn  for  two  or  three  days,  going  as  far  as  Sturgis' 
battle-field  near  the  Musselshell.  From  us  and 
from  the  Indians  who  were  fleeing  from  us  the 
Crows  managed  to  gather  much  booty,  such  as  cast- 
off  clothing  and  blankets,  pack  mules  that  had 
strayed  away  loaded  with  provisions,  and  numer 
ous  animals  temporarily  lame  or  otherwise  broken 
down  with  the  hardships  of  a  long  journey.  These 
they  gathered  up  and  took  back  to  their  lodges, 
and  with  so  much  adroitness  that  no  harm  seemed 
to  be  intended  and  no  complaint  was  made  against 
them.  Really  the  Crowds  gloried  in  thefts,  —  to 
snatch  a  pony  without  detection  was  for  a  Crow  a 
highly  praiseworthy  act. 

An  officer  who  was  serving  at  that  time  with  the 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  445 

cavalry  told  me  that  not  one  of  the  messengers  and 
scouts  that  Sturgis  sent  out  to  get  news  of  the 
coming  Nez  Perces  ever  returned.  We  found  the 
bodies  of  a  few  white  men  after  we  descended  from 
Hart  Mountain,  but  whether  they  were  slain  by 
the  Nez  Perces  or  the  Crows  we  could  not  deter 
mine. 

The  Mountain  Crow  Indians  were  noted  among 
surrounding  tribes  for  their  shrewdness  and  ac 
tivity.  Having  now  become  half -civilized  they 
show  the  change  in  their  dress,  wearing  partly  the 
white  man's  and  partly  the  Indian  costume.  They 
have,  however,  always  preferred  the  tepee  to  the 
dwellings  provided  for  them  through  the  Indian 
bureau. 

It  is  said  that  when  any  Plains  Indian  wishes 
to  marry  he  agrees  to  give  the  father  a  certain 
number  of  ponies  in  return  for  the  possession  or 
promise  of  his  daughter.  But  the  marriage  cere 
mony  had  no  binding  force  among  the  Crows,  for 
if  at  any  time  the  husband  became  weary  of  his 
wife  he  could  return  her  to  her  parents,  and  she 
was  free  to  marry  again.  Some  of  these  Indians 
have  more  than  one  wife. 

Like  the  Apaches,  Crow  parents  were  over-in 
dulgent  to  their  children.  They  were  under  no  re 
straint,  and  when  the  boys  were  old  enough  to  ride 
and  use  the  bow  they  w^ere  very  wild,  yet  happy 
together  in  their  varied  sports.  The  Crows  trusted 
in  the  Good  Spirit,  and  regarded  any  evil  or  dis 
aster  as  a  punishment  to  chasten  them.  When  re 
lief  came  the  Good  Spirit  had  brought  it,  and  they 
were  comforted.  In  this  faith  they  differed  from 


446  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

most  wild  Indians,  who  imputed  all  evils  to  the  Bad 
Spirit,  whom,  by  various  ways,  they  endeavored  to 
appease. 

The  religious  faith  of  the  Crows  did  not  differ 
much  from  that  of  the  non-treaty  Nez  Perces. 
Like  them  they  held  tenaciously  to  the  idea  of  a 
coming  Messiah,  who  was  to  restore  the  hunting 
grounds  and  privileges  of  their  fathers. 

Among  our  frontier  settlers  the  reputation  of 
the  Crows  was  bad.  They  were  denounced  as 
thieves,  marauders,  and  murderers.  Such  they  un 
doubtedly  were,  and  such  they  taught  their  chil 
dren  to  be;  still  they  managed  to  get  along  with 
white  men  without  open  war.  We  saw  many  evi 
dences  in  the  neighborhood  of  their  domain  of  old 
conflicts  with  other  Indian  tribes,  and  were  told  by 
men  who  had  long  resided  among  them  that  their 
lodge-poles  had  been  dropped  in  great  quantities 
on  all  "  the  old  trails  "  while  they  were  running 
away  from  the  Blackfeet,  with  whom  they  were 
constantly  at  war. 

The  Crows  were  natural  herders.  They  liked 
to  own  live  stock,  and  seemed  to  take  a  lively  pleas 
ure  in  herding  cattle  and  horses.  They  gradually 
gained  the  appliances  of  civilization,  and  a  large 
number  of  them  are  now  employed  every  year  by 
government  agents  in  hauling  supplies.  Many  are 
farmers  and  succeed  fairly  well  when  the  seasons 
are  favorable. 

In  noticing  the  totems  of  Sioux  warriors  I  have 
often  observed  that  about  the  first  act  depicted  was 
the  killing  and  scalping  of  a  Crow  Indian.  Some 
times  the  record  of  distinguished  prowess  included 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  447 

the  slaying  of  Crow  women  and  the  seizing  of  their 
ponies.  Sitting  Bull  in  his  younger  days,  while  he 
was  laying  the  foundation  of  his  fame  as  a  warrior, 
put  great  stress  upon  his  killing  of  Crows,  taking 
their  scalps  and  their  property.  These  curious 
records  show  that  the  Sioux  and  Crows  were  deadly 
enemies,  and  were  perpetually  at  war  with  each 
other. 

Their  code  of  honor  was  substantially  the  same. 
The  Crows  did  not  believe  in  robbing  each  other, 
but  took  great  delight  in  killing  and  robbing  their 
enemies.  Were  not  the  white  settlers  their  en 
emies?  How  could  they  have  our  code  of  morals 
except  through  Christianization  and  civilization? 

At  the  time  I  crossed  their  reservation  their 
limits  extended  from  the  north  line  of  Wyoming 
to  the  Yellowstone  and  the  one  hundred  and 
seventh  meridian.  They  were  then  known  as  the 
Eiver  and  the  Mountain  Crows.  The  former  had 
long  been  especially  nomadic,  and  roamed  north  of 
the  Missouri  with  little  regard  to  metes  and  bounds. 
They  had  constantly  fallen  in  with  white  men  who, 
through  the  use  of  whisky,  drove  good  trades  with 
them.  The  government  agent,  however,  had  suc 
ceeded  in  getting  some  twelve  hundred  of  them  to 
join  the  Mountain  Crows,  then  about  three  thou 
sand  strong,  and  to  remain  at  least  during  the  cold 
months  within  reasonable  distance  of  his  agency 
buildings. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

LIFE  AMONG  THE  FLATHEADS  —  THEIR  PECULIARITIES  AND 
CUSTOMS  —  OUR  INDIAN  RESERVATION  METHODS. 

Plea  of  Chief  Carlos  —  On  the  Lolo  Trail  —  Friendly  Emissaries  and 
Good  Spies  —  A  Diplomatic  Tribe  —  My  Two  Flathead  Messengers 

—  How  They  Were  Dressed  —  Method  of   Flattening  the  Head  — 
Efforts  to  Have  the  Practice  Discontinued  —  A  Tribal  Peculiarity 

—  How  the   Flatheads   Lived  —  Their   Homes    in   the    Bitter   Root 
Valley  —  Generally  Friendly  to  the  Whites  —  Old  Indian  Trails  — 
A  Drunken  and  Terror-inspiring  Indian  —  Settlers'   Dread   of  In 
dian  War  —  Work  Preferable  to  Starvation  —  Effect  of  Confining 
Indians  on  Reservations  —  Education  of  Indian  Children  —  Eager 
ness  to  Adopt  the  White  Man's  Ways. 

U/^VN  the  2d  of  March,  1889,  an  act  of  Con- 

I  I  gress  proposed  a  fresh  negotiation  with 
the  Carlos  band  (the  Flatheads)  with  a 
view  to  their  acceptance  of  the  local  warrants,  or 
the  assent  to  the  sale  of  the  land  thus  allotted  for 
their  benefit,  and  their  own  removal  to  the  reserva 
tion  already  occupied  by  a  majority  of  their 
people.  "*  During  the  negotiation  Chief  Carlos 
forcibly  emphasized  the  just  claims  of  his  people- 
claims  existing  from  time  immemorial— and  he 
especially  pleaded  his  own  action  during  the  Nez 
Perce  war  substantially  as  follows : 

"  It  is  admitted  by  the  whites  that,  with  a  band 
of  less  than  one  hundred  of  my  men,  we  saved  the 
white  families  of  the  valley  from  extermination. 
This  worthy  act  we  did  before  Howard  and  Gibbon 
could  concentrate  a  sufficient  force  to  meet  Joseph 

*  Extract  from  United  States  Census  Report,  1890. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  449 

and  Looking-Glass  in  the  field."  This  brief  state 
ment,  however,  is  misleading,  but  doubtless  it  ap 
peared  true  at  the  time  to  the  inhabitants  of  Bitter 
Root  Valley  and  vicinity,  and  to  the  Indians. 

Two  Flatheads,  as  fine-looking  Indians  as  I  ever 
saw,  met  my  column  while  we  were  following  the 
Lolo  Trail  before  we  came  to  the  Montana  border, 
and  represented  that  they  and  all  their  people  wrere 
peaceably  inclined  toward  us.  The  tribe  they  rep 
resented,  however,  did  not  interfere  in  any  way 
with  the  wild  Nez  Perces,  except  to  negotiate  be 
tween  them  and  the  white  people  living  in  that 
country.  They  professed  and  practiced  neutrality. 
They  did,  however,  give  the  hostile  Indians  all  the 
information  they  needed  to  escape  from  us  when 
Gibbon  was  hemming  them  in  near  Fort  Missoula. 
They  also  carried  information  to  the  Indians  that 
my  command  was  about  to  strike  the  Nez  Perces 
while  they  wrere  clustered  around  Gibbon's  camp 
at  the  Big  Hole,  gradually  picking  off  and  killing 
or  wounding  his  soldiers  one  by  one.  Indeed,  in 
my  opinion,  they  furnished  friendly  emissaries  to 
the  white  people  and  at  the  same  time  were  good 
spies  for  the  hostile  Nez  Perces,  and  managed 
adroitly  to  keep  peace  with  us  all.  Such  neutrality 
passes  current  among  Christian  nations,  if  not  too 
minutely  investigated. 

My  two  Flathead  messengers  were  men  above 
the  ordinary  size,  very  neat  in  their  attire,  and 
quite  showy.  They  had  on  low-crowned  hats  with 
stiff  brims,  one  wearing  in  his  hat  a  dark  plume, 
and  the  other  something  that  looked  like  an  eagle's 
wing.  Both  wore  buckskin  breeches  and  skin  jack- 

27 


450  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

ets,  the  latter  ornamented  with  painting,  fringes, 
and  beadwork;  they  had  also  blankets  of  Navajo 
make,  variegated  in  stripes  of  different  colors. 

There  was  nothing  in  these  two  Indians  nor  in 
the  numerous  individuals  of  the  band  then  occu 
pying  portions  of  Bitter  Root  Valley  which  made 
noticeable  the  distinctive  feature  wilich  gave  rise 
to  their  name.  The  method  of  flattening  the  head 
is  still  persisted  in  to  some  extent  notwithstanding 
the  strong  efforts  of  Christian  missionaries  to  have 
the  practice  discontinued.  The  infant  is  placed  on 
its  back  on  a  wide  piece  of  bark  or  slab  of  wood. 
A  shorter  piece  is  fastened  to  the  end  of  this  in 
such  a  way  as  to  press  down  gently  but  continually 
upon  the  forehead  of  the  child.  As  the  bones  yield 
to  the  pressure  the  thongs  are  drawn  tighter,  and 
the  skull,  being  soft  and  pliable,  gradually  assumes 
the  desired  formation  and  never  regains  its  normal 
shape.  In  some  cases  the  flattening  has  been  car 
ried  to  the  extent  of  a  gross  deformity.  What  is 
remarkable  is  that  the  intellect  seems  not  to  have 
been  at  all  impaired,  even  though  the  apparent 
shape  of  the  head  has  become  that  of  an  idiot.  Of 
course  this  was  a  tribal  peculiarity  and  was  con 
sidered  not  only  a  mark  of  distinction  but,  in  spite 
of  our  taste,  of  increased  beauty. 

The  Flatheads  made  their  homes  in  the  Bitter 
Root  Valley.  There  were  other  bands,  however, 
associated  with  the  Flatheads  proper  on  the  Jocko 
reservation  just  above  the  town  of  Missoula  who 
were  often  described  in  connection  with  the  Flat- 
heads  who  lived  near  the  government  agency. 
They  were  doubtless  kindred  bands ;  they  had  the 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  451 

same  root  language,  but  were  far  from  being  the 
same  in  energy,  enterprise,  and  thrift. 

While  the  buffalo  lasted  and  the  Flatheads 
could  go  upon  winter  hunts,  they  supplemented 
what  they  could  raise  in  the  valley  during  the  short 
season  of  that  northern  country,  and  were  com 
paratively  wealthy.  As  General  Gibbon's  troops, 
and  mine  following  them,  moved  rapidly  from  the 
end  of  the  Lolo  Trail  through  the  Bitter  Root  Val 
ley  and  on  to  Gibbon's  battle-field  at  the  Big  Hole, 
some  of  the  Flatheads  kept  in  or  near  our  camp  all 
the  way  and  showed  every  sign  of  friendly  feeling. 
The  white  people  in  that  region  were  vexed  be 
cause  we  did  not  stop  the  pursuit  of  Joseph  and 
his  warriors  altogether,  declaring  that  peace  would 
be  quickly  established  if  General  Howard  would 
cease  operations.  The  \vhites  also  gave  liberal  sup 
plies  to  the  fleeing  Indians,  so  that  at  that  time 
their  Indian  protectors,  the  Flatheads,  surely 
seemed  more  friendly  to  us  and  to  the  government 
than  wrere  the  Anglo-Saxon  settlers  of  western 
Montana. 

The  Nez  Perces  often  joined  the  Flatheads  in 
their  long  winter  excursions  into  the  buffalo  coun 
try,  and  were  uniformly  on  friendly  terms.  With 
them  they  constantly  intermarried.  They  helped 
to  make  the  "  old  trails,"  which  for  hundreds  of 
miles  coursed  along  in  several  parallel  lines  from 
valley  to  valley,  ridge  to  ridge,  and  mountain  side 
to  mountain  side,  at  that  time  the  only  discernible 
routes  from  Idaho  to  Dakota.  These  trails  were 
distinctly  marked  and  more  quickly  seen  by  traders 
arid  Indians  than  the  old  national  roadway  from 


452  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Montana  to  Oregon.  They  were  called  the  Nez 
Perce  buffalo  trails,  and  must  have  existed  when 
the  voyayeurs  of  Canada  were  planting  the  old 
forts— Hall  and  Walla  Walla— and  when  the  first 
Flatheads  came  all  the  way  from  the  region  of  the 
Bitter  Eoot  to  St.  Louis  to  find  the  Book  which  had 
made  the  white  men  wise  and  prosperous. 

About  the  time  I  first  met  the  Flatheads  it  was 
said  of  them  that  all  the  Indians  of  the  Jocko 
reservation  had  ever  been  friendly  to  the  whites. 
Still,  complaints  were  continually  made  that  horses 
were  stolen  by  them,  that  they  set  fire  to  the  grass 
and  woods  in  many  places,  sometimes  on  purpose 
that  new  and  tender  grass  might  spring  up  and 
young  brushwood  might  grow,  and  sometimes 
through  sheer  carelessness.  It  was  said  in  a  report 
(1875)  that  only  one  white  person  had  ever  been 
killed  on  the  Flathead  reservation,  and  that  the 
murder  was  committed  by  a  Pen  d'Oreille  and  not 
by  a  Flathead.  He  was  quickly  surrendered,  tried, 
and  executed. 

Another  accusation  was  that  many  of  them 
drank  liquor,  and  that,  though  he  might  not  rob  or 
murder,  a  Flathead  wrhen  intoxicated  was  utterly 
wild,  and  in  his  drunken  frenzy  frightened  the 
settlers  in  the  hamlets  where  he  resorted.  A  squaw- 
man,  a  cowboy,  or  a  "  sport  "  is  bad  enough  when 
intoxicated,  but  nothing  is  so  terror-inspiring  as  a 
drunken  Indian!  It  is  the  same  old  story  every 
where  from  generation  to  generation. 

A  year  before  our  Nez  Perce  war  reports  were 
current  that  an  outbreak  on  the  part  of  some 
strange  Indians  who  came  every  year  over  the 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS.  453 

mountains  had  long  been  feared  by  the  citizens. 
The  strangers  came  from  Oregon  and  Idaho, 
equipped  for  the  annual  hunt  of  buffalo  and  other 
game,  and  large  numbers  of  the  Flatheads  had 
been  accustomed  to  join  them  as  they  crossed  the 
Bitter  Root  Valley.  The  governor  and  all  other 
white  people  knew  how  peaceably  the  Flatheads 
had  always  conducted  themselves,  but  were  in 
great  dread  lest  they  should  enter  into  combination 
with  the  non-treaty  Nez  Perces,  Spokanes,  Cceur 
d'Alenes,  and  others,  and  so  cause  a  general  dis 
turbance  of  the  peace.  The  settlers  had  a  perpetual 
dread  of  savage  war. 

It  was  upon  such  representations  as  these  that 
the  post  of  Missoula  was  finally  established  and 
maintained.  The  object  of  the  post  was  to  furnish 
soldiers  to  prevent  all  roaming  by  bands  of  In 
dians  in  that  vicinity. 

Agent  Medary  has  recorded  this  remarkable 
statement :  ' i  An  Indian  will  naturally  work  rather 
than  starve,  and  if  confined  within  the  limits  of  his 
proper  country  he  would  have  to  turn  his  attention 
to  some  industrial  pursuit."  This  is  very  much 
like  the  Spanish  general  Weyler's  policy  in  Cuba. 
He  established  small  reservations  near  the  cities, 
called  stations  of  concentration ;  he  placed  soldiers 
with  arms  in  their  hands  close  by  to  prevent  non- 
combatants—old  men,  women,  and  children— from 
going  outside  of  the  prescribed  limits,  and  held 
them  there  to  starve  and  die. 

The  reservation  process  for  the  Flatheads  was 
not,  of  course,  so  bad,  because  there  was  a  possi 
bility  of  their  getting  a  living  within  the  limits 


454  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

assigned.  But  it  seems  never  to  have  occurred  to 
many  of  our  wise  men  that  these  people  who  had 
been  accustomed  for  generations  to  get  their  living 
by  hunting  the  buffalo,  killing  game,  and  selling 
peltries,  could  not  immediately  be  transformed 
into  gardeners  and  farmers. 

For  the  feeding  of  cattle  and  the  herding  of 
horses,  and  the  pasturing  of  large  flocks  of  sheep, 
immense  tracts  of  the  rolling  prairies  of  the  West 
have  been  needed  and  taken  by  white  men,  and 
they  have  not  hesitated  to  use  freely  the  public 
domain.  It  would  be  a  hardship  which  our  white 
frontiersmen  could  not  bear  to  shut  them  up  to 
gether  upon  a  ranch,  however  fertile,  and  keep 
them  there  by  military  force  in  order  to  convert 
them  from  shepherds  and  herders  into  successful 
farmers.  They  would  in  time  doubtless  come  to  it 
by  some  such  pressure,  especially  if  attended  with 
a  reasonable  degree  of  starvation.  Such  inhuman 
ity  is  plain  when  whites  and  not  Indians  are  con 
cerned. 

I  notice,  in  one  treaty  with  the  Flatheads,  that 
Arlee,  their  chief,  in  many  talks  with  our  Indian 
inspectors,  referred  to  the  Garfield  agreement 
(1872).  He  claimed  that  six  hundred  bushels  of 
wheat,  guaranteed  to  be  delivered  to  his  people  the 
first  year  after  their  removal  to  the  reservation, 
had  never  been  provided.  By  referring  to  the  in 
strument  it  may  be  seen  that  the  superintendent 
of  Indian  affairs  for  Montana  was  to  furnish  the 
six  hundred  bushels  of  wheat  in  question.  He  did 
not  do  it.  I  wonder  if  this  also  was  a  starvation 
policy  to  benefit  the  Indians  by  withholding  from 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS.  455 

them  seed  and  sustenance,  so  as  further  to  drive 
them  into  habits  of  industry ! 

I  feel  more  strongly  than  ever  that  our  reserva 
tion  method  is  not  the  best  in  dealing  with  Indians 
who  have  always  been  self-supporting,  and  that  a 
starvation  process  is  wicked  and  foolish,  and  must 
end  in  failure. 

The  Jocko  reservation  furnishes  another  object 
lesson.  It  is  in  the  education  of  children.  An 
agent  says:  "  The  education  of  girls  alone  might 
be  a  greater  benefit  if  it  were  not  certain  that  they 
would  finally  marry  ignorant  Indians  and  soon 
lapse  into  semi-barbarism.  ...  If  boys  alone 
were  instructed  they  would  make  better  use  of  their 
acquirements;  if  they  should  marry  uneducated 
girls  they  would  take  pride  in  imparting  their 
knowledge  to  them." 

These  statements  suggest  the  thought :  how  very 
neglectful  of  duty  is  our  government  in  not  provid 
ing  that  all  the  children  shall  be  educated.  Educa 
tion,  and  not  the  squalor,  degradation,  and  utter 
demoralization  that  go  with  a  starvation  policy,  is 
the  only  relief  in  sight  for  these  superb  Flathead 
Indians,  who  are  really  eager  to  learn  the  white 
man's  ways.  The  treaty  Nez  Perces,  whom  they 
most  resemble,  are  considerably  in  advance  of 
them,  but  the  slavery  of  a  reservation  constantly 
checks  and  represses  them. 

If  years  ago  the  Flatheads  could  have  had  the 
privileges  that  the  white  men  of  Idaho  enjoy,— the 
privileges  of  land  ownership,  self-government,  and 
education,  which  are  the  common  privileges  of  citi 
zenship,— they  would  now  be  abreast  of  the  most 


456  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

advanced  Indians  in  the  Indian  Territory.  For 
years  they  were  allowed  to  elect  their  head  chief, 
who  was  to  help  the  agent.  They  did  it  well  and 
counted  it  a  great  privilege,  but  even  this  small 
help  toward  self-government  was  taken  from  them. 
The  reservation  system  is  a  system  under  which 
the  Indian  people  can  never  make  much  progress. 
It  is  a  system  plainly  for  the  benefit  of  white  men, 
—settlers  and  Indian  employees. 

How  hard  it  is  for  our  lawmakers  to  shake  off 
prejudice  and  break  up  the  unhappy  complications 
of  years,  and  establish  a  government  for  the  In 
dians  that  will  assure  to  them  the  same  rights, 
privileges,  and  responsibilities  that  other  people 
have !  Here  is  a  work  for  some  patriotic  and  far- 
seeing  young  statesman  to  inaugurate. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

LIFE  AND  EXPERIENCES  AMONG  THE  WARLIKE  SIOUX  - 
SOME  DANGEROUS  CHARACTERS. 

My  New   Field   of   Duty  —  The   Fierce   and   Warlike   Sioux  — Some   of 
Their  Influential  Chiefs  —  Interviewing  the  Ernie's  —  Indian  Police 

—  Fine  Physical  Specimens  of  Indians  —  The  Wife  of  Lone  Wolf 

—  Honoring  My  Arrival  at  the  Rosebud  Agency  —  Attending  the 
Omaha    Dance  —  A    Characteristic    Indian    Performance  —  Getting 
Ready  for  the  Sun  Dance  —  The  Country  Inhabited  by  the  Sioux 

—  In  the  Bad  Lands  —  How  the  Sioux  were   Fed  and  Clothed  — 
Their  Delight  in  War  and  Pillage  —  The  Mischief-making  Dreamers 

—  Dangerous  Character  of  Sitting  Bull  —  Raising  Up  False  Mes 
siahs  —  Frenzied  Indian  Dancers. 

I  HAD  been  six  years  in  the  great  Department 
of  the  Northwest  when  President  Hayes,  after 
his  visit,  decided  to  transfer  me  to  the  East. 
Just  at  that  time  there  was  quite  a  ferment  at  West 
Point,  occasioned  by  a  colored  cadet  named  Whit- 
taker,  who  claimed  to  have  been  badly  maltreated 
and  wounded  by  some  of  his  fellow  cadets,  many 
of  whom  insisted  that  the  wounds  were  inflicted  by 
his  own  hands.  The  President  seemed  to  think 
that  I  was  the  one  to  settle  such  a  complicated  case, 
and  this  feeling  doubtless  hastened  my  orders. 

I  arrived  at  the  Military  Academy  in  the  winter 
of  1880  and  1881,  and  wras  retained  there  almost 
two  years.  Late  in  the  fall  of  1882,  being  relieved 
from  West  Point  when  it  ceased  to  be  a  depart 
ment,  I  was  assigned  to  the  Department  of  the 
Platte,  which  at  that  time  included  Iowa,  Ne 
braska,  Wyoming,  Utah,  and  part  of  Idaho,  with 


458  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

headquarters  at  Omaha.  This  brought  me  in  con 
tact  with  the  Indian  tribes  east  of  the  Rocky  Moun 
tains  and  north  of  Kansas,  and  also  with  Indians 
who  did  not  live  or  have  their  hunting-grounds 
in  the  Platte  country,  but  who  frequently  passed 
back  and  forth  over  that  part  of  our  domain. 

The  Sioux  were  the  first  to  receive  my  special 
attention.  I  had  two  forts  near  them,  one  at  Nio- 
brara  near  the  Eosebud  agency,  the  other,  Fort 
Robinson,  being  near  the  Pine  Ridge  agency.  The 
Indians  that  were  gathered  at  Fort  Mobrara  and 
upon  the  reservation  were  mostly  Brule  Sioux. 
Crow  Dog  and  Short  Bull  were  their  principal 
chiefs.  Upon  the  Pine  Ridge  reservation— exten 
sive  enough  in  acres  if  not  rich  in  fertility — were 
gathered  the  Ogalala  Sioux.  Red  Cloud,  Short 
Bull,  Spotted  Tail,  and  Crazy  Horse  were  among 
the  chiefs  who  exerted  great  influence  at  that  time. 

Taking  with  me  the  commanding  officer  of  Fort 
Mobrara,  and  Lieutenant  Charles  G.  Treat,  an 
aide-de-camp,  with  a  few  civilian  friends,  I  went 
to  the  headquarters  of  Agent  Wright  to  interview 
the  Brules.  There  was  no  special  trouble  amongst 
them  at  that  time,  but  the  agent,  who  had  only  just 
assumed  his  duties,  was  evidently  a  little  uncertain 
how  to  deal  with  his  charge.  I  found  that  the  same 
old  struggle  between  Indian  customs  and  the  white 
man's  ways  was  still  rife.  Their  Indian  police 
was  not  yet  efficient.  The  agent  had  not  succeeded 
in  enlisting  Indians  of  good  repute  in  the  tribe, 
and  Indian  opposition  was  so  strong  that  he  found 
it  somewhat  difficult  to  enforce  his  authority. 

At  a  later  day,  both  at  this  agency  and  at  Pine 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS.  459 

Ridge,  some  full-blooded  Indians  expressed  a  will 
ingness  to  join  the  police  force  for  pay.  After  that 
the  agent  had  something  besides  his  own  will  to 
strengthen  his  rule  among  them.  Probably,  - 
under  the  reservation  system — there  never  was  a 
better  or  more  conservative  method  than  the  organ 
ization  and  use  of  Indian  police,  for  the  chief  of 
police,  when  well  selected,  was  soon  recognized  as 
the  strongest  chief  in  the  tribe. 

The  Brules  were  the  finest  physical  specimens 
of  Indians  that  I  had  yet  seen.  Their  chiefs  usu 
ally  wore  their  hair  long,  parted  in  the  middle,  and 
falling  upon  their  shoulders.  They  wrere  not  so 
particular  in  their  dress  as  the  Flatheads  or  the 
Nez  Perces.  The  chief's  rank  was  indicated  by 
one  or  more  feathers  standing  erect  in  his  hair,  a 
breast-plate  of  porcupine  quills,  and  sometimes  a 
fur  or  skin  jacket  ornamented  in  various  ways. 
Ordinarily  all  these  Indians  wore  trousers,  but 
their  feet  were  shod  with  moccasins  instead  of 
shoes ;  a  showy  blanket  to  throw  on  and  off  at  will 
completed  the  outfit. 

The  wife  of  Lone  Wolf  wore  her  hair  quite 
neatly  arranged,  with  small  braids  on  each  side  of 
her  head,  while  several  ornaments  dangled  from 
the  back  part  of  her  ears.  She  wore  a  jacket  or 
shirt  made  of  buckskin  ornamented  with  rows  of 
small  shells.  On  her  arm  she  carried  a  handsome 
blanket,  and  around  her  neck  were  two  or  three 
strings  of  beads. 

The  Indians  desired  to  honor  the  occasion  of 
my  arrival  at  the  Rosebud,  so  they  obtained  from 
Agent  Wright  permission  to  come  to  the  agency 


460  MY  LITE  AND  PEKSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

and  give  a  dance  on  a  beautiful  plateau  near  the 
agent's  quarters.  It  was  midsummer,  so  we  could 
all  sit  round  out-of-doors  among  the  non-dancing 
Indians  and  look  on.  The  dance,  which  they  said 
was  the  dance  of  peace,  was  by  them  called  the 
"  Omaha  Dance,"  and  was  performed  altogether 
by  the  males.  Most  of  the  Indians  who  took  part 
were  naked,  except  for  the  breech-cloth,  and  vari 
ous  ornaments,  made  of  feathers,  wings  of  birds, 
or  evergreen  branches,  worn  upon  their  heads  or 
hanging  around  their  necks.  The  dancers  were 
fantastically  painted  from  head  to  foot. 

We  could  not  trace  anything  very  distinctive 
in  the  dance,  nor  very  well  interpret  what  it  meant. 
They  used  the  same  odd  steps  characteristic  of 
nearly  all  Indian  dances.  The  men,  when  together, 
retained  sufficient  space  for  individual  movement. 
A  man  would  take  two  steps  first  with  one  foot  and 
then  with  the  other,  then  putting  his  hands  together 
he  would  bend  down  and  look  on  the  ground  as  if 
eagerly  searching  for  something,  all  the  time  keep 
ing  step  with  the  beat  of  the  tom-toms.  The  antics 
of  one  Indian  were  not  always  like  those  of  another. 
One  would  indicate  the  chase  and  represent  a  deer, 
antelope,  or  buffalo,  and  others  would  represent 
wild  geese,  turkeys,  or  ducks. 

After  most  of  the  dancers  had  ceased  their  per 
formance,  one— sometimes  two  or  three— would 
jump  up  and  dance  for  a  long  time,  going  through 
with  all  kinds  of  movements  and  gyrations,  and 
looking  down,  and  up,  and  off.  Mingled  with  the 
sound  of  the  tom-tom  was  the  incessant  chanting 
of  the  lookers-on,  who  sat  with  their  heads  thrown 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  463 

back.  The  chant  was  participated  in  to  some  ex 
tent  by  the  dancers,  but  they  confined  themselves 
mostly  to  punctuating  it  with  whoops  and  yells, 
which  made  the  dance,  though  intended  to  symbol 
ize  peace,  almost  as  startling  as  that  which  por 
tended  war. 

The  next  day,  hearing  that  the  Indians  were 
assembling  for  a  large  summer  encampment,  and  in 
fact  that  a  camp  of  several  thousand  Indians, 
mostly  Sioux,  was  already  located  and  many  lodges 
erected,  a  company  of  us  proceeded  to  the  grounds. 
On  reaching  them  we  found  that  the  Indians  were 
busy  making  preparations  for  a  great  sun  dance, 
which  wras  to  take  place  the  following  day.  Our 
interpreter  explained  how  the  dance  wras  to  be 
performed,  and  showed  me  the  level  piece  of  ground 
in  the  midst  of  the  encampment  which  had  been  set 
apart  for  it. 

The  detail  of  the  dance,  which  I  did  not  care  to 
see,  was  sufficiently  described  by  an  Indian  chief 
through  the  interpreter.  The  chief  said  he  was 
opposed  to  the  sun  dance,  but  his  Indians  would  be 
filled  with  grief  if  it  should  be  stopped. 

I  had  already  heard  much  about  the  sun  dance 
and  had  done  all  in  my  power  to  discourage  the  In 
dians  from  the  self-inflicted  tortures  incident  to  it, 
but  I  had  not  yet  used  the  troops  to  prevent  it. 
Such  an  act  on  my  part  would  have  done  no  good 
at  that  time,  but  might  have  provoked  another  In 
dian  uprising ;  indeed,  the  Sioux  were  a  people  free 
from  fear,  and,  being  ever  ready  for  war,  were  not 
easily  mastered  by  force. 

The  Sioux  occupied  that  portion  of  the  United 


464  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

States  lying  between  the  Mississippi  River  and  the 
Rocky  Mountains  north  of  the  fortieth  parallel  of 
latitude.  Their  lands  were  drained  by  the  great 
Missouri  River  and  its  many  tributaries.  Their 
reserved  lands,  early  set  apart  for  them,  have 
gradually  been  made  smaller  and  smaller  until  up 
wards  of  thirty  thousand  Sioux  inhabit  a  tract  of 
country  called  "  The  Sioux  Reservation, "  which 
contains  about  thirty-five  thousand  square  miles  of 
territory.  Much  of  this  is  grass-covered  rolling 
prairie,  with  timber  along  the  creeks  and  rivers. 
The  soil  is  alluvial  and  through  it  the  streams  have 
cut  deep  ravines,  and  the  country  is  everywhere 
much  broken.  In  some  places  are  apparently  un 
derlying  deposits  of  coal ;  such  portions  are  called 
the  Bad  Lands,  being  exceedingly  rough  and  incap 
able  of  producing  much  vegetation.  The  reserva 
tion  now  occupied  by  the  Sioux  is  what  remains  of 
that  allotted  to  them  by  treaty  nearly  forty  years 
ago.  Whenever  the  reservation  has  been  reduced 
the  United  States  has  been  the  purchaser  of  the 
portion  surrendered. 

As  soon  as  the  buffalo  was  extinct  and  game  of 
all  kinds  scarce,  it  became  necessary  to  furnish  the 
Indians  with  clothing  and  food,  and  to  assist  and 
encourage  them  in  everything  that  would  con 
tribute  to  their  self-support.  The  emergency,  in 
fact,  came  too  suddenly  for  the  Indians  to  begin 
the  new  life  with  much  hope  of  success,  so  that  the 
feeding  and  clothing  was  done  by  collecting  the 
Sioux  in  groups  at  several  points  within  their 
reservation.  Each  camp  was  placed  under  the  care 
of  a  civil  agent,  who  was  charged  not  only  with 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  465 

feeding  the  Indians,  but  also  with  their  instruction 
in  the  peaceful  arts.  There  are  now  five  Sioux 
agencies,  or  groups,  from  one  to  two  hundred  miles 
from  each  other,  viz. :  Standing  Rock,  Cheyenne 
River,  Brule,  Rosebud,  and  Pine  Ridge;  I  found 
at  these  agencies  two  distinct  classes  of  Indians, 
the  progressive  and  those  who  have  long  resisted 
progress,  i.  e.,  the  reactionary. 

The  progressive  Indians  were  willing  to  till  the 
land,  live  quietly  and  honestly,  and  were  more  or 
less  Christianized.  The  reactionaries  were  at  all 
times  subject  to  excitement,  and  delighted  in  war 
and  pillage.  From  time  to  time  they  made  raids 
against  other  Indians,  with  now  and  then  a  hostile 
expedition  against  white  settlers. 

Over  this  turbulent  element  there  arose  in 
every  camp  the  spirit-leader,  sometimes  called  a 
"  Dreamer/'  and  among  the  Indians  farther  west 
a  "  tooat."  Sitting  Bull,  an  Indian  of  large  capac 
ity  and  great  energy,  rose  to  power  by  becoming  a 
chief  and  a  Dreamer.  He  was  at  last  allowed  by 
the  Indians  to  exercise  supreme  command,  as  was 
shown  in  the  bloody  massacre  of  General  Custer 
and  his  command  during  the  summer  of  1876.  The 
Messiah  craze,  to  which  I  have  several  times  al 
luded,  and  which  all  the  Dreamers  believed  in,  was 
taken  advantage  of  by  Sitting  Bull  and  men  like 
him  to  divide  the  Indians  and  excite  them  to  fa 
natical  enthusiasm,  and  his  adherents  were  ever 
ready  to  carry  out  his  evil  machinations.  Sitting 
Bull's  death  did  not  pacify  the  wilder  Sioux.  It 
only  increased  the  terror  of  the  timid  and  infuri 
ated  those  who  had  already  been  intoxicated  by  the 


466  MY  LITE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

weird  ghost  dance.  He  was  a  dangerous  character, 
and  his  death  was  really  a  benefit  to  all  the  Sioux, 
and  much  more  so  to  the  white  settlers  of  South 
Dakota  and  Nebraska. 

White  people  are  sometimes  led  into  extreme 
enthusiasm  and  behold  a  Messiah  coming  in  propria 
persona,  and  they  have  at  times  done  extravagant 
things  at  which  the  worldly- wise  have  jeered  and 
laughed.  Some  satanic  agencies  delight  in  raising 
up  false  Messiahs  and  false  Christs,  so  that  good 
and  well-disposed  people  are  deceived. 

The  Pi-Ute  Indian  who  started  the  wild  theory 
of  the  coming  of  the  Messiah  who  should  restore 
Indian  supremacy,  walked  a  thousand  miles  to 
carry  it  from  tribe  to  tribe.  He  encouraged  the 
wild  ghost  dance  that  grew  fiercer  and  more  fren 
zied  under  his  teaching.  One  might  as  well  have 
asked  the  untamed  lion  not  to  roar,  or  the  tigress 
robbed  of  her  young  not  to  spring  upon  the  robber, 
as  to  ask  the  wild  Sioux  to  keep  the  peace  after 
their  old  dances  and  new  ghost  dances  had  stirred 
them  up  and  roused  all  the  fierceness  of  their  un 
tamed  nature. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

THE  MESSIAH  CRAZE  AMONG  THE  SIOUX  —  INDIAN  DREAMERS 
AND  THE  GHOST  DANCE  —  FRONTIER  TRAGEDIES. 

The  Messiah  Craze  —  The  Real  Message  and  How  it  Originated  — 
Urged  to  Wild  Frenzy  by  the  Dreamers  — "  We  Will  Always  be 
Indians"  —  White  Men's  Broken  Promises  —  Bad  Influence  of 
Land  Boomers  and  Speculators  —  "Indians  are  Coming!"  —How 
Indian  WTars  Were  Often  Started  —  Causes  of  the  Great  Sioux  Out 
break —  Big  Foot's  Band  of  Warriors  —  The  Battle  of  Wounded 
Knee  Creek  —  Indiscriminate  Slaughter  of  Indians  —  Death  of  Lieu 
tenant  Casey  —  The  Horrors  of  Indian  War  —  Another  Side  of  the 
Story  —  Murder  of  Few  Tails  —  Sad  Journey  of  a  Wounded  Indian 
Woman. 

A  PERSONAL  witness  speaking  of  the 
"  Messiah  craze  ':  said:  "  The  delusion 
has  taken  possession  of  the  wilder  portion 
of  the  Indians.  The  leaders  have  invigorated  old 
heathen  ideas  with  snatches  of  Christian  truth, 
and  managed  to  excite  an  amount  of  enthusiasm 
which  is  amazing.  They  teach  that  the  Son  of  God 
will  presently  appear  as  the  avenger  of  the  wild 
Indians ;  the  earth  will  shiver  and  a  great  wave  of 
new  earth  will  overspread  the  face  of  the  world 
and  bury  all  the  whites  and  Indians  who  imitate 
their  ways,  while  the  real  Indians  will  find  them 
selves  on  the  surface  of  the  new  earth,  basking  in 
the  light.  The  old  Indian  customs  will  all  be  re 
stored  in  primitive  vigor  and  glory,  and  the  buffalo, 
antelope,  and  deer  will  return." 

The  turmoil  and  bloodshed  that  followed  what 
was  called  the  Messiah  craze  among  the  Sioux  cre- 

28 


468  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

ated  the  idea  that  the  Indian  who  first  promulgated 
the  doctrine  and  styled  himself  a  "  prophet," 
commonly  called  by  other  Indians  the  Messiah,— 
taught  that  the  Indians  were  "to  rise  from  the  dead, 
and  that  living  Indians  were  to  help  them  put  to 
death  all  white  men,  after  which  the  Indian  hunt 
ing  grounds  were  to  be  restored  to  them  in  their 
primal  condition ;  but  the  actual  message  from  the 
prophet,  as  it  came  to  the  Comanche,  Wichita,  and 
Arapaho  agencies,  was  in  effect:  "  You  must  do 
right.  Do  no  harm  to  any  one.  Do  right  always." 

Wovoka  was  a  Pi-Ute,  living  in  Nevada  about 
forty  miles  from  Walker  Lake.  Some  years  ago 
he  was  stricken  with  a  severe  fever,  which  was  fol 
lowed  at  intervals  by  trances.  While  he  was  ill 
there  was  an  eclipse  of  the  sun,  whereupon  he  de 
clared  that  "  when  the  sun  died  "  he  fell  asleep  in 
the  daytime  and  was  taken  up  to  heaven. 

Out  of  his  disordered  imagination,  caused,  no 
doubt,  by  his  sickness,  and  the  effects  upon  him  and 
his  people  of  the  eclipse,  were  derived  his  alleged 
revelations.  When  we  read  the  full  text  of  his  mes 
sage,  which  he  said  the  Lord  wanted  him  to  deliver 
to  the  Indians,  we  find  nothing  which  should  have 
harmful  or  injurious  consequences. 

The  free  rendering  of  the  message  sent  by  him 
to  other  Indians  (given  in  Powell's  14th  Annual 
Report)  shows  the  nature  and  extent  of  what 
Wovoka  (or  Jack  Wilson)  the  prophet  desired  to 
communicate.  Here  is  all  of  it : 

"  When  you  get  home  you  must  make  a  dance  to  continue 
five  days.  Dance  four  successive  nights,  and  the  last  night 
keep  up  the  dance  until  the  morning  of  the  fifth  day,  when 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  471 

all  must  bathe  in  the  river  and  then  disperse  to  their  homes. 
You  must  all  do  in  the  same  way. 

"  I,  Jack  Wilson,  love  you  all,  and  my  heart  is  full  of 
gladness  for  the  gifts  you  have  brought  me.  When  you  get 
home  I  shall  give  you  a  good  cloud  (rain),  which  will  make 
you  feel  good.  I  give  you  a  good  spirit  and  give  you  all  good 
paint.  I  want  you  to  come  again  in  three  months,  some  from 
each  tribe  there  (the  Indian  Territory). 

"  There  will  be  a  good  deal  of  snow  this  year  and  some 
rain.  In  the  fall  there  will  be  such  a  rain  as  I  have  never 
given  you  before. 

"  Grandfather  (a  universal  title  of  reverence  among  In 
dians  and  here  meaning  the  Messiah)  says,  when  your  friends 
die  you  must  not  cry.  You  must  not  hurt  anybody  or  do 
harm  to  any  one.  You  must  not  fight.  Do  right  always.  It 
will  give  you  satisfaction  in  life.  This  young  man  has  a 
good  father  and  mother.  (Possibly  this  refers  to  Casper 
Edison,  the  young  Arapaho  who  wrote  down  the  message  of 
Wovoka  for  the  delegation.) 

"  Do  not  tell  the  white  people  about  this.  Jesus  is  now 
upon  the  earth.  He  appears  like  a  cloud.  The  dead  are  all 
alive  again.  I  do  not  know  when  they  will  be  here,  maybe 
this  fall  or  in  the  spring.  When  the  time  comes  there  will 
be  no  more  sickness  and  every  one  will  be  young  again. 

"  Do  not  refuse  to  work  for  the  whites  and  do  not  make 
any  trouble  with  them  until  you  leave  them.  When  the 
earth  shakes  (at  the  coming  of  the  new  world)  do  not  be 
afraid.  It  will  not  hurt  you. 

"  I  want  you  to  dance  every  six  weeks.  Make  a  feast  at 
the  dance  and  have  food  that  everybody  may  eat.  Then 
bathe  in  the  water.  That  is  all.  You  will  receive  good 
words  again  from  me  some  time.  Do  not  tell  lies." 

The  ghost  dance  and  the  ghost  shirt  were  not 
instituted  by  Wovoka.  There  is  nothing  in  the 
above  to  warrant  any  wicked  conduct.  On  the  con 
trary,  if  this  teaching  had  been  even  partly  fol 
lowed,  I  believe  it  would  have  led  to  better  be- 


472          MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

havior  among  all  the  uncivilized  tribes  of  the  In 
dian  Territory. 

But  behold  the  dancing  picture !  A  lot  of  danc 
ing,  excited  Indians,  each  dressed  in  a  calico  shirt, 
called  "  the  mysterious  shirt/'  cut  very  short  like 
the  army  jacket,  the  Dreamers  preaching  while  the 
Indians  are  singing  and  shouting,  "  The  buffalo 
are  coming!  the  buffalo  are  coming! >:  Then  seiz 
ing  each  others'  hands  they  go  round  and  round  in 
dizzy  circles,  becoming  wilder  and  more  frenzied 
until  one  after  another  of  the  dancers  falls  down 
unconscious.  The  medicine  men  declare  these 
prostrate  Indians  dead,  and  announce  that  they 
are  making  a  visit  to  the  Great  Spirit  world,  where 
they  will  meet  the  Son  of  God  and  all  true  Indians 
who  have  gone  before.  When  these  "  dead"  In 
dians  are  restored  to  life  they  naturally  have  won 
derful  stories  to  tell  of  their  strange  visions. 

The  good  bishop  of  Dakota  said  that  he  looked 
upon  this  movement  as  the  efforts  of  heathenism 
grown  desperate  in  the  attempt  to  recover  its  vigor 
and  be  reinstated.  Many  of  the  missionaries  fore 
told  that  such  a  struggle  among  Indians  would 
some  time  come.  I  was  once  in  council  writh  some 
wild  Indians  who  believed  in  and  practiced  spirit 
ism.  They  beat  their  tom-toms  continuously 
around  every  sick  man,  woman  or  child,  and  lis 
tened  to  the  voice  of  their  medicine  men.  They 
questioned  me  very  closely  and  said:  "  Will  you 
give  us  schools,  churches,  farms,  houses,  and  im 
plements  for  all  kinds  of  work,  if  we  will  do  as  you 
tellusf" 

"Yes,"  I  answered,  "  the  government  that  I 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  473 

represent  will  do  all  of  that,  and  teach  you  to  live 
as  white  men  do." 

"  Now,  General  Howard,"  was  the  answer,  "  we 
tell  you  plainly  that  those  are  the  very  things  we 
do  not  want.  We  want  the  earth  to  be  as  it  is,— 
nothing  should  break  up  the  surface  of  the  earth. 
We  will  not  have  schools,  nor  churches,  nor  farms, 
nor  white  men's  houses,  nor  their  ways  of  living! 
We  will  always  be  Indians!  r  This  was,  indeed, 
the  fundamental  spirit  that  actuated  every  wild 
Indian  in  whose  soul  slumbered  the  fire  of  Indian 
manhood— a  manhood  after  their  ideas. 

Of  course,  if  the  United  States  maintains  the 
reservation  system,  there  always  will  be  secondary 
causes,  as  in  the  Sioux  outbreak.  For  example: 
promises  not  speedily  fulfilled,  or,  worse  still,  never 
fulfilled  at  all.  For  years  the  Sioux  waited  for  the 
fulfillment  of  promises  made  by  general  officers, 
by  United  States  commissioners,  and  government 
agents.  After  a  pledge  or  promise  of  money  it  has 
always  taken  a  long  time  to  get  the  necessary  ap 
propriation  through  both  Houses  of  Congress.  No 
officer  or  agent  can  transfer  his  feelings  of  sym 
pathy  to  our  legislators.  Often  for  years  and  years 
solemn  pledges  made  to  Indian  tribes,— I  state  it 
with  sorrow, — have  remained  unfulfilled. 

The  consent  of  the  Sioux  to  the  breaking  up 
of  their  reservation  was  not  unanimous  on  their 
part.  The  dissenters  very  soon  found  an  oppor 
tunity  to  revenge  themselves.  Minorities  among 
white  men  are  at  times  dissatisfied  and  occasionally 
turbulent.  A  Sioux  minority  was  sure  to  exceed 
the  fervor  of  white  men.  When  a  citizen  has  a 


474  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

claim  against  the  government  he  prosecutes  it  with 
patience  and  waits  sometimes  for  many  sessions 
of  Congress  for  a  decision  and  an  appropriation. 
The  reactionary  Sioux  could  not  be  made  to  com 
prehend  the  reasons  for  such  long  periods  of  wait 
ing.  They  interpreted  them  as  resulting  from 
forked  tongues  and  bad  hearts.  For  example,  after 
the  war  of  1876,  led  by  Sitting  Bull,  when  certain 
Sioux  were  disarmed  and  deprived  of  their  ponies, 
all  who  were  not  hostile  were  promised  payment 
for  their  losses.  That  payment  has  never  yet  been 
made. 

Another  secondary  cause  came  from  ambitious 
white  men  living  near  the  Sioux.  A  land  boom 
ends  disastrously  and  white  men  are  "  land  poor." 
They  try  to  mend  their  fortunes  by  encouraging  the 
incoming  of  troops  which,  of  course,  is  followed 
by  the  purchase  of  supplies  and  the  circulation 
of  more  money.  But  these  crafty  speculators  are 
easily  thrown  into  a  panic ;  they  are  afraid  of  a  few 
drunken  Indians  who  may  be  found  at  a  brothel  or 
saloon;  their  fears  magnify  the  situation:  "  In 
dians  are  near!  Indians  are  insolent!  Indians 
are  dancing!  Indians  are  coming!  they  will  wipe 
us  out ! ':  Governors,  congressmen,  and  editors  are 
appealed  to.  "  Troops,  troops,  more  troops !  "  they 
cry.  The  governor  sends  the  militia  or  volunteers, 
and  the  government  is  obliged  to  bring  up  at  least 
a  few  companies  of  regulars.  During  such  a  time 
money  flows  in  and  trade  is  quickened.  Frontiers 
men  of  the  roughest  kind,  who  have  nothing  to  lose 
and  everything  to  gain  by  such  disturbances,  get 
for  a  time  congenial  employment,  and  the  means, 


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AMONG  OUK  HOSTILE  INDIANS  477 

too  often,  for  a  renewal  of  their  dissipated  modes 
of  living. 

But  some  one  asks:  "  Does  this  make  war?  " 
Yes,  it  does.  The  rumors  are  enough.  Poor  ranch 
men  far  and  near  become  terrified  at  the  reports 
and  rush  with  'their  families  to  the  nearest  settle 
ment.  The  Indians  also  have  heard  these  rumors, 
ten  times  exaggerated,  so  that  the  wild  become 
wilder,  and  Indian  women  and  children  are  blinded 
by  the  common  terror.  Ambitious  young  braves 
have  a  special  inspiration  and  go  off  in  small 
parties  to  steal  cattle  and  horses,  and  murder 
whites  indiscriminately.  They  return  with  their 
booty  and  display  the  scalps,  followed  by  a  scalp 
dance,  and  they  become  at  once  the  lions  of  their 
tribe.  Again  and  again  peace  councils  have  been 
overridden  and  savage  war  brought  upon  us,  with 
all  its  sickening  outrage  and  horror,  by  just  such 
wickedness  and  folly ;  the  mustard  seed  becomes  a 
great  tree.  This  was  the  case  in  the  great  Sioux 
outbreak. 

Indian  agents  deserve  some  attention  and  kindly 
consideration.  They  have  had  hard  and  trying 
positions.  They  must  have  unusual  ability  and 
character  to  control  a  storm  at  such  times.  Doubt 
less  some  are  not  suited  to  their  work,  and  some  are 
not  wise  governors,  but  I  have  found  among  them 
true  and  very  competent  men.  No  one  man,  how 
ever,  can  quench  the  fire  of  a  blazing  house  after  it 
has  passed  beyond  his  control. 

In  my  judgment,  under  the  excitement  of  the 
Messiah  craze  and  the  ghost  dances  the  agents  at 
the  five  great  centers  of  the  Sioux  nation  would 


478          MY   LIFE   AND   PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

have  been  more  than  human  to  have  maintained 
peace  without  adequate  help  from  the  army. 

Nor  should  the  army  be  blamed  for  the  fright 
ful  conflicts  that  occurred  in  the  Sioux  war.  In 
this,  as  in  every  Indian  war,  the  troops,  except  in 
small  garrisons,  were  used  as  a  last  resort.  The 
killing  of  Sitting  Bull,  and  the  bloody  combats  that 
followed,  the  rushing  of  the  worst  Indians  to  the 
famous  Bad  Lands,  the  urgent  calls  from  neighbor 
ing  villages  and  hamlets  for  arms  and  soldiers,  the 
killing  here  and  there  of  white  men,  then  of  one  or 
two  Indians— these  stories  came  over  the  wires  like 
successive  waves  of  the  ocean.  This  time  more 
quickly  than  usual  the  troops,  abundantly  equipped, 
were  called,  and  promptly  transported  to  different 
points  all  around  and  upon  the  great  reservation, 
occupied  the  agencies,  and  gradually  drew  nearer 
to  the  hostile  camps. 

At  the  very  last  the  Seventh  Cavalry,  attempt 
ing  to  disarm  Big  Foot's  band  near  Wounded 
Knee  Creek,  was  suddenly,  through  the  treachery 
of  a  single  Indian  and  the  fear  and  fierce  hostility 
of  others,  brought  into  deadly  conflict.  Twenty- 
five  of  our  soldiers  were  quickly  slain  and  thirty- 
eight  wounded.  At  least  one  hundred  and  fifty 
Indians  perished,  including  women  and  children, 
and  many  others  were  maimed  for  life.  Their 
bodies,  frozen  stiff  from  exposure  to  a  Dakota 
blizzard,  were  buried  a  few  days  later  in  one  long 
trench.  In  this  battle  Captain  Wallace  fell  in 
death  and  several  other  officers  received  severe 
wounds.  The  worthy  priest,  Father  Crafts,  who 
had  hastened  from  New  York  to  use  his  known  in- 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  481 

fluence  with  the  Indians  in  the  hope  of  restoring 
peace,  fell  mortally  wounded.  A  little  later,  Lieu 
tenant  E.  W.  Casey,  a  most  worthy  and  promising 
army  officer,  who  had  been  with  me  instructing 
cadets  but  a  few  years  before  at  the  Military  Acad 
emy  was  shot  and  killed  while  reconnoitering  in 
front  of  a  band  of  hostiles,  by  Plenty  Horses,  a 
Brule  Indian.  Lieutenant  Casey  had  distinguished 
himself  in  the  command  of  Indian  scouts,  and 
given  them  instruction  and  discipline,  and  he 
firmly  believed  that  he  was  beloved  by  them  all. 

Such  is  only  a  hint  of  the  sad  condition  of  af 
fairs  during  the  Sioux  war,  but  the  army  went 
steadily  on  as  usual  to  accomplish  its  work.  The 
extensive  field  of  operations  was  diminished  little 
by  little,  while  every  inducement  was  offered, 
finally  with  success,  to  all  friendly  Indians  to  es 
cape  to  the  protection  of  the  troops,  and  to  all  the 
hostiles,  regardless  of  what  they  had  done,  to  make 
a  timely  surrender. 

The  horrors  of  this  Indian  war,  like  all  such, 
were  terrible  and  revolting.  The  conflict  was  an 
unusual  one  and  occurred  contrary  to  all  predic 
tions. 

We  cannot  fail  to  admire  the  courage  and  en 
durance  displayed  by  our  regular  soldiers  in  these 
arduous  campaigns.  They  constantly  endured  the 
rigors  of  the  keenest  cold,  the  thermometer  often 
ranging  thirty  degrees  below  zero.  They  will  al 
ways,  as  at  Wounded  Knee,  give  a  dreadful  recep 
tion  to  such  enemies  if  they  should  renew  the 
bloody  contest,  but  there  should  always  be  enough 
of  them  to  make  success  and  victory  so  sure  that 


182          MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

every  hostile  Indian  may  recognize  the  fact,  and 
realize  the  utter  folly  of  beginning  a  conflict. 

But  there  is  sometimes  another  side  to  the  story 
of  these  outbreaks  besides  the  one  that  generally 
appears  to  us  before  and  after  an  Indian  war. 
Here  is  an  example:  A  party  of  Ogalala  Sioux, 
consisting  of  Chief  Pew  Tails,  a  peaceable  and 
quiet  old  Indian,  his  wife,  far  advanced  in  years, 
and  another  brave  named  One  Feather,  with  his 
wife  and  two  children,— one  being  a  girl  thirteen 
years  old  and  another  a  babe,— had  been  out  hunt 
ing  in  the  Black  Hills,  and  had  a  regular  pass  from 
the  Indian  agent.  They  were  returning  from  a 
successful  hunt,  and  camped  for  the  night  at  the 
mouth  of  a  creek. 

Early  in  the  morning  they  set  out  for  Pine 
Ridge,  but  had  proceeded  only  a  few  hundred  yards 
when  some  concealed  white  men  fired  upon  them. 
These  white  men,  who  were  well  known,  had  sent 
one  of  their  number  into  the  Indian  camp  as  a 
messenger  the  evening  before,  so  that  they  knew 
who  the  parties  were,  and  had  not  the  shadow  of 
an  excuse  for 'their  infamous  conduct.  Few  Tails 
was  slain  at  the  first  shot  and  the  ponies  attached 
to  his  wagon  were  killed.  As  his  wife  leaped 
to  the  ground  she  was  twice  wounded,  but  not  fa 
tally.  One  Feather,  being  considerably  behind  the 
chief,  seeing  what  had  happened,  turned  his  wagon 
in  another  direction,  telling  his  wife,  who  had  just 
been  shot,  to  drive  for  her  life  and  try  to  save  the 
children.  He  himself  jumped  upon  a  pony  and 
skillfully  stood  off  the  murderers  until  his  family 
had  gone  some  distance. 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  483 

As  the  wounded  woman  passed  a  settler's  house 
more  shots  were  fired  at  her,  but  fortunately  she 
was  not  hit,  and  her  husband  speedily  coming  up 
placed  himself  between  her  and  the  new  danger. 
One  Feather  kept  on  until  his  wagon  ponies  were 
exhausted ;  then,  putting  his  two  children  upon  one 
of  his  spare  ponies  and  his  crippled  wife  upon  an 
other,  he  continued  the  retreat  rapidly  enough  to 
distance  his  pursuers,  finally  succeeding  in  bring 
ing  in  his  family  to  the  cover  of  the  troops  at  the 
agency.  The  old  wife  of  the  chief  was  unconscious 
for  some  time,  but  after  regaining  her  senses  the 
next  morning  she  went  to  a  settler's  house  only  to 
be  driven  away.  With  great  difficulty  she  pursued 
her  lonely  journey  to  the  Bad  Lands,  and  from 
there  succeeded,  after  many  weary  days  and  nights, 
in  reaching  a  military  camp. 

She  said  at  the  close  of  this  terrible  journey: 
"  I  had  no  blanket  and  my  feet  were  swollen  and  I 
was  ready  to  die.  After  I  got  to  the  tent  a  doctor 
came  in,  a  soldier  doctor,  because  he  had  straps  on 
his  shoulders,  and  wrashed  me  and  treated  me  well." 

It  is  said  of  Young-Man- Afraid-of-his-Horses, 
a  prominent  Sioux  chief,  that  he  objected  to  the 
surrender  of  the  slayers  of  Lieutenant  Casey  and  a 
herder  by  the  name  of  Miller  in  these  words :  i  i  No, 
I  will  not  surrender  them ;  if  you  will  bring  to  me 
the  white  men  who  killed  Few  Tails  I  will  deliver 
to  you  the  Indians  who  killed  the  white  soldier  and 
the  herder." 

At  one  time,  when  Red  Cloud  was  in  his  prime, 
he  was  a  great  leader  among  the  Sioux,  but  during 
our  last  struggle  with  them,  though  he  sympa- 


484          MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

thized  with  the  Dreamers  and  felt  indignant  at  the 
non-fulfillment  of  promises  on  the  part  of  our 
government  agents,  he  stood  aloof  from  the  conflict 
and  did  not  join  in  active  operations  against  the 
troops.  I  saw  him  not  long  before  this  outbreak. 
He  was  considerably  wrinkled  with  age,  but  had 
still  a  great  abundance  of  black  hair,  parted  in  the 
middle  and  hanging  down  over  his  shoulders.  He 
was  dressed  completely  in  citizens'  clothing,  in 
cluding  a  shirt-front,  collar,  and  necktie.  His 
wife  was  with  him.  Her  long  hair  fell  in  braids 
below  her  waist,  and  shell  ornaments  were  pendent 
from  her  ears.  Around  her  neck  she  wore  what 
appeared  to  be  a  broad  band  made  of  porcupine 
quills.  Her  face  was  that  of  a  woman  in  middle 
life,  keenly  observant,  thoughtful  in  expression, 
and  not  unpleasant  to  look  upon.  Her  husband's 
face  when  at  rest  was  more  forbidding,  but  indi 
cated  a  strong  character. 

The  Cheyenne  and  Sioux  scouts,  who  had  been 
carefully  selected,  had  a  remarkable  history  during 
this  conflict.  They  were  so  true  to  what  they  had 
promised  and  so  well  led  by  their  chief  that  every 
body  was  pleased  with  them,  and  certainly  no 
loyalty  could  be  more  thoroughly  tried  than  was 
theirs  under  those  circumstances.  It  is  true  that 
Lieutenant  Casey,  who  had  trusted  the  scouts,  was 
killed,  but  it  was  by  a  Brule  Indian  who  belonged  to 
the  hostiles.  The  scouts,  who  were  much  affected 
by  his  death,  were  greatly  attached  to  him  and  were 
ever  ready  to  obey  his  slightest  behest. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

IN  THE  COUNTRY  OF  THE  CHE YENNES  —  MASSACRE  OF  GEN 
ERAL  CUSTER  AND  HIS  COMMAND  —  A  FRONTIER 
TRAGEDY. 

The  Fierce  and  Warlike  Cheyeimes  —  Chief  Black  Kettle  —  Brutal  Mas 
sacre  of  Southern  Cheyennes  by  White  Troops  —  Retaliating  on 
White  Settlers  —  The  Notorious  Chief  Sitting  Bull  —  Dull  Knife, 
the  Cheyenne  Chief  —  The  Cheyennes  and  Sioux  Join  Forces  —  An 
nihilation  of  General  Custer  and  His  Command  —  A  Tragedy  that 
Shocked  the  Civilized  World  —  General  Terry's  Account  of  the 
Battle  —  A  Desperate  and  Bloody  Fight  —  Horny  Horse's  Story  of 
the  Battle  —  Narrative  of  Chief  Red  Horse  —  Chief  High  Wolfe 
and  His  Necklace  of  Human  Fingers  —  Arrival  of  General  Terry's 
Relief  Column  —  Appearance  of  Custer's  Battlefield  —  Mutilating 
the  Dead  Bodies  of  Soldiers  —  Burial  of  the  Dead. 

THE  great  tribe  of  Cheyennes  has  for  many 
years  been  divided  into  two  bodies  known  as 
the  Northern  and  the  Southern  Cheyennes. 
There  is  but  little  difference  between  them. 

"When  we  first  knew  them  they  were  living  in 
villages  on  the  Cheyenne  River.  In  early  contests 
with  the  Sioux  they  were  gradually  pushed  farther 
west,  but  were  always  found  somewhere  on  the 
southern  branches  of  the  Yellcvv-stone.  The  coun 
try  immediately  east  of  the  Black  Hills  was  the 
favorite  location  from  which  they  started  on  their 
hunting  expeditions. 

The  first  treaty  between  the  United  States  and 
the  Cheyennes  was  made  in  1825  near  Port  Benton, 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Teton  River.  The  Cheyennes 
were  then  at  peace  with  the  Sioux,  with  whom  they 
were  so  often  allied,  but  they  were  constantly 


488          MY   LIFE   AND   PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

quarreling  with  the  Pawnees  and  other  distant 
tribes  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  which  shows  how 
far  from  home  they  roamed.  At  that  time  their 
numbers  altogether  were  recorded  as  three  thou 
sand  two  hundred  and  fifty. 

The  Cheyennes  were,  as  a  rule,  friendly  to  all 
white  settlers  as  late  as  1862,  and  yet  they  made 
constant  raids  across  their  valleys  far  to  the  south 
ward.  After  that  time  difficulties  gradually  sprang 
up  between  them  and  various  mining  prospectors, 
which  finally  culminated  in  open  hostility  and  in 
fighting  United  States  troops.  During  the  Civil 
War  the  Southern  Cheyennes  were  continually  on 
the  warpath  and  we  had  many  battles  with  them. 
Finally  peace  was  declared,  but  it  was  abruptly 
terminated  by  the  indiscretion  of  Colonel  Chiving- 
ton  of  the  First  Colorado  Cavalry,  who,  either  be 
lieving  or  feigning  to  believe  that  the  Southern 
Cheyennes  were  still  on  the  warpath,  came,  in 
November,  1864,  upon  one  of  their  villages  located 
on  what  was  known  as  Sand  Creek  in  the  south 
eastern  part  of  Colorado. 

The  head  of  the  village  was  Black  Kettle,  who, 
in  accordance  with  instructions  given  by  army  of 
ficers  during  a  recent  peace  council,  was  flying  the 
United  States  flag  above  his  lodge.  Furthermore 
the  bravest  of  the  Cheyennes,  thinking  there  was 
some  mistake  on  the  part  of  Chivington  and  his 
troops,  confidently  pointed  to  the  flag  as  a  sign  of 
their  loyalty  and  their  desire  for  peace,  but  no  at 
tention  was  paid  to  them  or  their  entreaty.  With 
out  a  shadow  of  excuse  the  Colorado  cavalry  fired 
straight  at  them  and  into  the  Indian  village,  killing 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  489 

armed  Indians,  old  men,  women,  and  little  chil 
dren  indiscriminately.  The  white  volunteers  fur 
thermore  treated  their  dead  bodies  with  barbarity 
that  no  savages  could  have  surpassed.  They  even 
carried  off  their  scalps  as  evidence  of  their  own 
infamous  brutality. 

The  few  that  escaped  from  this  slaughter  car 
ried  the  dreadful  tidings  to  all  the  Southern  Chey- 
ennes  and  those  Indians  who  were  allied  with 
them,  and  a  horrible  massacre  followed  of  all  set 
tlers  within  their  reach.  The  war  that  followed 
between  the  Southern  Cheyennes  and  our  troops 
continued  with  more  or  less  virulence  until  1867, 
when  General  Hancock  checked  it  by  burning  the 
village  of  "  the  Dog  soldiers,"  -  a  band  of  young 
Cheyenne  Indians  who  had  some  pretence  to  mili 
tary  organization  and  who  committed  frequent 
murderous  raids  and  depredations  accompanied 
by  unusual  ferocity.  This  blow  was  not  severe 
enough,  however,  to  wholly  discourage  them,  and 
they  soon  continued  the  war  and  pushed  it  with 
more  persistency-  than  ever.  General  Ouster  fol 
lowed  them  up  as  far  as  the  borders  of  Colorado 
and  defeated  them  in  battle,  killing  Black  Kettle 
and  thirty- seven  of  his  warriors. 

Finally,  in  1868,  the  Southern  Cheyennes  and 
their  allies,  the  Arapahoes,  were  thoroughly  beaten 
in  southern  Kansas  by  United  States  troops,  and  a 
large  number  of  them  were  captured  and  sent  to 
Camp  Supply  in  the  Indian  Territory.  Some  stray 
villages  of  Cheyennes,  however,  remained  ugly  and 
defiant,  and  endeavored  to  preserve  their  inde 
pendence  and  their  roving  habits.  Finally,  in 


490          MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

March,  1875,  the  remnants  of  the  Southern  Chey- 
ennes,  tired  of  constant  warfare,  came  in  and  sur 
rendered  at  Fort  Sill,  and,  with  the  exception  of  a 
single  outbreak,  have  since  lived  upon  their  pres 
ent  reservation  in  Oklahoma. 

The  Northern  Cheyennes  were  even  more  fierce 
and  warlike  than  the  Southern  branch.  They  lived 
in  villages  in  the  country  north  of  the  Black  Hills. 
In  1876  they  joined  Sitting  Bull  and  the  Sioux, 
who  \vere  just  then  unusually  hostile  to  the  whites 
and  to  the  government,  and  with  them  took  a  prom 
inent  part  in  the  Ouster  massacre  on  the  Little  Big 
Horn  River  in  July  of  that  year. 

Sitting  Bull  was  a  great  medicine  man  and  a 
regular  Sioux  chief  who  had  early  imbibed  the  re 
ligious  ideas  of  the  Dreamers  which,  as  we  have 
seen,  was  so  nearly  universal  in  its  hold  upon,  the 
minds  and  hearts  of  the  different  tribes  that  it  may 
be  called  the  principal  tenet  of  their  faith. 

Mrs.  Ouster  says:  "  The  most  powerful  chief 
of  the  different  bands  was  known  by  the  title  of 
Sitting  Bull."  She  places  him  ^mong  those  who 
from  their  youth  entertained  implacable  hatred  to 
the  whites  and  stood  out  for  the  Indians'  original 
habits  of  life.  Individual  Indians,  who  for  one 
cause  or  another  wished  to  leave  a  reservation, 
hastened  to  cast  their  lot  with  Sitting  Bull  or 
Crazy  Horse  of  the  Sioux  or  Dull  Knife  of  the 
Cheyennes.  At  the  beginning  of  his  career  Sitting 
Bull  had  but  few  lodges  and  not  more  than  a  hun 
dred  warriors,  but  before  1876  his  village  had 
become  a  large  one ;  and  Crazy  Horse,  with  whom 
he  now  united,  had  at  the  start  three  times  as  many 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  491 

warriors  as  Sitting  Bull.  After  Dull  Knife  and 
his  Cheyennes  had  joined  them,  together  with  in 
numerable  warriors  from  all  the  Sioux  agencies, 
there  were  two  or  three  thousand  fighting  Indians 
combined  in  the  hostile  camps,  and  Sitting  Bull 
became  the  war  chief  of  them  all. 

He  was  very  reluctant  to  attend  any  council 
where  white  men  were  present.  Mrs.  Ouster  de 
scribes  him  as  "  a  heavily  built  Indian,  with  a  large 
massive  head,  and,  strange  to  say,  brown  hair,  un 
like  most  Indians.  He  was  heavily  marked  with 
smallpox."  Sitting  Bull's  career  as  portrayed  by 
himself  in  some  Indian  drawings  shows  him  first 
as  a  young  brave  without  special  dress  or  insignia ; 
another  represents  him  in  the  act  of  killing  a  Crow 
Indian  on  a  horse  and  securing  his  scalp.  In  each 
one  of  another  series  of  sketches  he  is  shown  in  the 
act  of  taking  the  life  of  Indians  or  of  whites ;  in 
one  he  has  captured  herds  of  ponies;  fifty-five 
drawings  were  boastful  representations  of  robbery, 
murder,  and  theft.  In  writing  of  the  noted  chief 
Mrs.  Ouster  records  other  characteristics  of  his. 
She  said  that  he  was  an  Indian  of  unusual  powers 
of  mind,  and  a  warrior  whose  talent  amounted  to 
genius,  while  his  stubborn  heroism  in  defense  of 
the  last  of  his  race  was  undeniable.  Cruel  he  un 
doubtedly  was,  but  that  was  from  the  instincts  of 
his  race ;  a  general  of  the  first  natural  order  he  must 
have  been  to  have  defied  the  United  States  as  he  did 
for  more  than  ten  years.  That  he  was  able  to  do 
this  so  long  was  owing  to  his  skillful  use  of  two  ad 
vantages—a  central  position  surrounded  by  the 
Bad  Lands  and  the  quarter  of  a  circle  of  agencies 

29 


492          MY   LIFE   AND   PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

from  which  he  drew  supplies  and  allies  for  every 
campaign. 

I  have  a  good  picture  of  Sitting  Bull  as  he  ap 
peared  after  the  surrender  at  Fort  Buford  in  the 
spring  of  1877. 

When  this  picture  was  taken  he  was  forty  years 
of  age,  but  the  deep  and  heavy  wrinkles  in  his  for 
bidding  face  gave  the  impression  that  he  was 
nearer  sixty.  His  features  indicate  strong  char 
acter,  power  to  plan,  to  act,  and  to  persevere  until 
what  he  undertook  to  do  should  be  accomplished. 
There  is  no  sign  of  tenderness  or  mercy  in  his 
countenance. 

There  are  so  many  accounts  of  the  Ouster  mas 
sacre,  and  Mrs.  Ouster's  history  is  so  thoroughly 
complete  and  good,  that  I  need  not  attempt  more 
than  the  briefest  account  of  it,  and  this  for  the 
purpose  of  showing  something  of  the  part  the 
Cheyennes  took  in  that  disastrous  battle,  and  of 
giving  the  Indians'  version  of  it,  for  not  one  of 
Ouster's  command  survived  to  tell  the  story.  This 
can  be  briefly  done  •  by  extracts  from  General 
Terry's  published  story,  which  he  wrote  from  the 
field  the  27th  of  June,  1876: 

"It  is  my  painful  duty  to  report  that  day  be 
fore  yesterday,  the  25th  inst.,  a  great  disaster  over 
took  General  Ouster  and  the  troops  under  his  com 
mand.  At  twelve  o'clock  on  the  22d  he  started 
with  his  whole  regiment,  and  a  strong  detachment 
of  scouts  and  guards,  from  the  mouth  of  the  Rose 
bud.  Proceeding  up  that  river  about  twenty  miles 
he  struck  a  very  heavy  Indian  trail,  which  had 
previously  been  discovered,  and  pursuing  found 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  493 

that  it  led,  as  was  supposed,  to  the  Little  Big  Horn 
River.  Here  he  discovered  a  village  (of  Sioux  and 
Cheyennes)  of  almost  unexampled  extent,  and  at 
once  attacked  it  with  that  portion  of  his  force 
which  was  immediately  at  hand.  Major  Reno, 
with  three  companies,  A,  G,  and  M,  of  the  regiment, 
were  sent  into  the  valley  of  the  stream  at  the  point 
where  the  trail  struck  it.  General  Ouster,  with  five 
companies,  C,  E,  F,  I,  and  L,  attempted  to  enter  it 
about  three  miles  lower  down.  Reno  forded  the 
river,  charged  down  its  left  bank,  and  dismounted 
and  fought  on  foot  until  finally,  completely  over 
whelmed  by  numbers,  he  was  compelled  to  mount, 
recross  the  river,  and  seek  a  refuge  on  the  high 
bluffs  which  overlook  its  right  bank. 

"  Just  as  he  recrossed  Captain  Benteen,  who, 
with  three  companies,  D,  H,  and  K,  was  some  two 
miles  to  the  left  of  Reno  when  the  action  com 
menced,  but  who  had  been  ordered  by  General 
Ouster  to  return,  came  to  the  river,  and  rightly 
concluded  that  it  would  be  useless  for  his  force  to 
attempt  to  renew  the  fight  in  the  valley;  he  joined 
Reno  on  the  bluffs.  Captain  McDougal,  with,  his 
company,  B,  was  at  first  at  some  distance  in  the 
rear  with  a  train  of  pack-mules.  He  also  came  to 
Reno  soon.  This  united  force  was  nearly  sur 
rounded  by  Indians,  many  of  whom,  armed  with 
rifles,  occupied  positions  which  commanded  the 
ground  held  by  the  cavalry, — ground  from  which 
there  was  no  escape.  Rifle  pits  were  dug  and  the 
fight  was  maintained,  though  with  heavy  loss,  from 
about  half  past  two  o'clock  of  the  25th  till  six 
o'clock  of  the  26th,  when  the  Indians  withdrew 


494          MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 


from  the  valley,  taking  with  them  their  village.* 
"  His  (Ouster's)  trail  (made  by  his  horses) 
from  the  point  where  Eeno  crossed  the  stream 
passes  along  and  in  rear  of  the  crest  of  the  bluffs 
on  the  right  bank  for  three  miles,  then  it  comes 
down  to  the  bank  of  the  river,  but  at  once  diverges 
from  it  as  if  he  had  unsuccessfully  attempted  to 
cross,  then  turns  upon  itself,  almost  completes  a 
circle  and  closes.  It  is  marked  by  the  remains  of 
his  officers  and  men,  the  bodies  of  his  horses,  some 
of  them  dropped  along  the  path,  others  heaped 
where  halts  appeared  to  have  been  made.  There 
is  abundant  evidence  that  a  gallant  resistance  was 
offered  by  the  troops,  but  they  were  beset  on  all 
sides  by  overpowering  numbers." 

General  Terry  states  the  entire  loss  in  that  en 
gagement  as  two  hundred  and  fifty  killed,  and  with 
Reno  fifty-one  men  were  wounded.  Major  Eeno 
and  Captain  Benteen  estimated  the  number  of  In 
dians  engaged  as  not  less  than  two  thousand  five 
hundred. 

Captain  John  J.  Bourke  in  his  work  "  On  the 
Border  with  Crook  "  relates  some  incidents  as  told 
by  Indians  who  were  in  the  fight.  Horny  Horse 
said:  "  Some  lodges  came  out  from  Standing 
Rock  agency  and  told  us  the  troops  were  coming. 
The  troops  charged  on  the  camp  (village)  before 
we  knew  they  were  there.  The  lodges  were  strung 
out  about  as  far  as  from  here  to  the  Red  Cloud 
agency  slaughter-house  (about  two  and  a  half 
miles) .  I  was  in  the  council-house  with  a  lot  of  the 

*  General  Terry  knew  at  that  time  no  details  of  the  massacre,  be 
cause  not  one  of  those  who  accompanied  General  Custer  were  living. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  495 

old  men  when  we  heard  shots  fired  from  up  the 
river.  The  troops  first  charged  from  up  the  river. 
We  came  out  of  the  council-house  and  ran  to  our 
lodges. 

"All  the  young  bucks  got  on  their  horses  and 
charged  the  troops.  All  the  old  bucks  and  squaws 
ran  the  other  way.  We  ran  the  troops  back.  Then 
there  was  another  party  of  troops  on  the  other  side 
of  the  river.  One  half  of  the  Indians  pursued  the 
first  body  of  troops  (Reno's),  the  other  half  went 
after  the  other  body  (Ouster's).  I  didn't  see  ex 
actly  all  the  fight,  but  by  noon  all  of  one  party 
(Ouster's)  were  killed  and  the  others  driven  back 
into  a  bad  place.  We  took  no  prisoners.  I  did  not 
go  out  to  see  the  bodies,  because  there  were  two 
young  bucks  of  my  band  killed  in  the  fight  and  we 
had  to  look  after  them. 

"  We  made  the  other  party  of  soldiers  (Reno's) 
cross  the  creek  and  run  back  to  where  they  had 
their  pack-train.  The  reason  we  didn't  kill  all  this 
party  (Reno's)  was  because  while  we  were  fighting 
his  party  we  heard  that  more  soldiers  were  coming 
up  the  river,  so  we  had  to  pack  up  and  leave.  We 
left  some  good  young  men  killed  in  that  fight.  We 
had  a  great  many  killed  in  the  fight,  and  some 
others  died  of  their  wounds.  I  know  that  there 
were  between  fifty  and  sixty  Indians  killed  in  the 
fight.  After  the  fight  we  went  to  Wolf  Mountain, 
near  the  head  of  Goose  Creek.  Then  we  followed 
Rosebud  down  and  then  went  over  to  Blue  Stone 
Creek." 

Dr.  Charles  E.  McChesney,  acting  assistant  sur 
geon  United  States  army,  communicated  to  the 


496  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Bureau  of  Ethnology  at  Washington  a  unique  In 
dian  account,  both  in  carefully  noted  gesture-signs 
and  in  pictographs,  of  the  battle  of  the  Little  Big 
Horn.  These  drawings  were  made  and  the  ac 
count  which  accompanied  them  was  given  by  Red 
Horse,  a  Sioux  chief,  and  a  prominent  actor  in  the 
battle.  His  narrative,  closely  translated  into 
simple  English,  is  herewith  given.  The  drawings 
were  made  on  rough  manilla  paper,  some  of  them 
with  colored  pencils.  Some  of  these  drawings  are 
presented  in  this  volume,  not  only  as  specimens  of 
Indian  art,  but  as  a  contribution  from  the  Indian 
standpoint  to  our  knowledge  of  Custer's  last  fight. 
Here  is  the  story  of  Red  Horse : 

"  Five  springs  ago,  I,  with  many  Sioux  Indians, 
took  down  and  packed  up  our  tipis  (tepees)  and 
moved  from  Cheyenne  River  to  the  Rosebud  River, 
where  we  camped  a  few  days ;  then  took  down  and 
packed  up  our  lodges  and  moved  to  the  Little  Big 
Horn  River  and  pitched  our  lodges  with  the  large 
camp  of  Sioux. 

"  The  Sioux  were  camped  on  the  Little  Big 
Horn  River  as  follows:  The  lodges  of  the  Unc- 
papas  were  pitched  highest  up  the  river  under  a 
bluff.  The  Santee  lodges  were  pitched  next.  The 
Ogalalas'  lodges  were  pitched  next.  The  Brule 
lodges  were  pitched  next.  The  Minneconjoux 
lodges  were  pitched  next.  The  Sans-Arcs  lodges 
were  pitched  next.  The  Blackfeet  lodges  were 
pitched  next.  The  Cheyenne  lodges  were  pitched 
next.  A  few  Arikara  Indians  were  among  the 
Sioux  (being  without  lodges  of  their  own) .  Two- 
Kettles  (a  tribe  of  Sioux),  among  the  other  Sioux 
(without  lodges). 


.T  o 


ft.    ^  W 


S     13  X> 

*z3 

'~  H  Z 
^  X  O 
-  n  JO 


-s      ,  ;   r/] 

^So 


III 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  499 

"  I  was  a  Sioux  chief  in  the  council  lodge.  My 
lodge  was  pitched  in  the  center  of  the  camp.  The 
day  of  the  attack  I  and  four  women  were  a  short 
distance  from  the  camp  digging  wild  turnips. 
Suddenly  one  of  the  women  attracted  my  attention 
to  a  cloud  of  dust  rising  a  short  distance  from 
camp.  I  soon  saw  that  the  soldiers  were  charging 
the  camp.  To  the  camp  I  and  the  women  ran. 
When  I  arrived  a  person  told  me  to  hurry  to  the 
council  lodge.  The  soldiers  charged  so  quickly  we 
could  not  talk  (council).  We  came  out  of  the 
council  lodge  and  talked  in  all  directions.  The 
Sioux  mount  horses,  take  guns,  and  go  fight  the 
soldiers.  Women  and  children  mount  horses  and 
go  (meaning  to  get  out  of  the  way) . 

"Among  the  soldiers  was  an  officer  who  rode  a 
horse  with  four  white  feet.  The  Sioux  have  for  a 
long  time  fought  many  brave  men  of  different 
people,  but  the  Sioux  say  this  officer  was  the  brav 
est  man  they  had  ever  fought.  I  don't  know 
whether  this  was  General  Ouster  or  not.  Many  of 
the  Sioux  men  that  I  hear  talking  tell  me  it  was. 
I  saw  this  officer  in  the  fight  many  times,  but  did 
not  see  his  body.  It  has  been  told  me  that  he  was 
killed  by  a  Santee  Indian,  who  took  his  horse. 
This  officer  wore  a  large-brimmed  hat  and  a  deer 
skin  coat.  This  officer  saved  the  lives  of  many 
soldiers  by  turning  his  horse  and  covering  the  re 
treat.  Sioux  say  this  officer  was  the  bravest  man 
they  ever  fought.  I  saw  two  officers  looking  alike, 
both  having  long  yellowish  hair. 

"  Before  the  attack  the  Sioux  were  camped  on 
the  Eosebud  Eiver.  Sioux  moved  down  a  river 


500  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

running  into  the  Little  Big  Horn  River,  crossed 
the  Little  Big  Horn  Elver,  and  camped  on  its  west 
bank. 

"  This  day  (day  of  attack)  a  Sioux  man  started 
to  go  to  Red  Cloud  agency,  but  when  he  had  gone  a 
short  distance  from  camp  he  saw  a  cloud  of  dust 
rising  and  turned  back  and  said  he  thought  a  herd 
of  buffalo  was  coming  near  the  village. 

"  The  day  was  hot.  In  a  short  time  the  soldiers 
charged  the  camp.  (This  was  Major  Reno's  bat 
talion  of  the  Seventh  Cavalry.)  The  soldiers 
came  on  the  trail  made  by  the  Sioux  camp  in  mov 
ing,  and  crossed  the  Little  Big  Horn  River  above 
where  the  Sioux  crossed,  and  attacked  the  lodges 
of  the  Uncpapas,  farthest  up  the  river.  The 
women  and  children  ran  down  the  Little  Big  Horn 
River  a  short  distance  into  a  ravine.  The  soldiers 
set  fire  to  the  lodges.  All  the  Sioux  now  charged 
the  soldiers  and  drove  them  in  confusion  across 
the  Little  Big  Horn  River,  which  was  very  rapid, 
and  several  soldiers  were  drowned  in  it.  On  a 
hill  the  soldiers  stopped  and  the  Sioux  surrounded 
them.  A  Sioux  man  came  and  said  that  a  different 
party  of  soldiers  had  all  the  women  and  children 
prisoners.  Like  a  whirlwind  the  word  went 
around,  and  the  Sioux  all  heard  it  and  left  the  sol 
diers  on  the  hill,  and  went  quickly  to  save  the 
women  and  children. 

"  From  the  hill  that  the  soldiers  were  on  to  the 
place  where  the  different  soldiers  (by  this  term 
Red  Horse  always  means  the  battalion  immedi 
ately  commanded  by  General  Custer,  his  mode  of 
distinction  being  that  they  were  a  different  body 


/£*M 

i    V^m    ^ 


~  s        T         ,'      ^\  ^ 
,^v4J   t»^ 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  503 

from  that  first  encountered)  were  seen  was  level 
ground  with  the  exception  of  a  creek.  Sioux 
thought  the  soldiers  on  the  hill  (i.  e.,  Reno's  bat 
talion)  would  charge  them  in  rear,  but  when  they 
did  not  the  Sioux  thought  the  soldiers  on  the  hill 
were  out  of  cartridges.  As  soon  as  we  had  killed 
all  the  different  soldiers  the  Sioux  all  went  back  to 
kill  the  soldiers  on  the  hill.  All  the  Sioux  watched 
around  the  hill  until  a  Sioux  man  came  and  said 
many  walking  soldiers  were  coming  near.  The 
coming  of  the  walking  soldiers  was  the  saving  of 
the  soldiers  on  the  hill.  Sioux  cannot  fight  the 
walking  soldiers  (infantry),  being  afraid  of  them, 
so  the  Sioux  left. 

"  The  soldiers  charged  the  Sioux  camp  about 
noon.  The  soldiers  were  divided,  one  party  charg 
ing  right  into  the  camp.  After  driving  these  sol 
diers  across  the  river  the  Sioux  charged  the  dif 
ferent  soldiers  (i.  e.,  Ouster's)  below,  and  drove 
them  in  confusion;  these  soldiers  became  foolish, 
many  throwing  away  their  guns  and  raising  their 
hands,  saying :  '  Sioux,  pity  us ;  take  us  prisoners. ' 
The  Sioux  did  not  take  a  single  soldier  prisoner, 
but  killed  all  of  them ;  none  were  left  alive  for  even 
a  few  minutes.  These  different  soldiers  discharged 
their  guns  but  little.  I  took  a  gun  and  two  belts 
off  two  dead  soldiers ;  out  of  one  belt  two  cartridges 
were  gone,  out  of  the  other  five. 

"  The  Sioux  took  the  guns  and  cartridges  off 
the  dead  soldiers  and  went  to  the  hill  on  which  the 
soldiers  were,  surrounded,  and  fought  them  with 
the  guns  and  cartridges  of  the  dead  soldiers.  Had 
the  soldiers  not  divided  I  think  they  would  have 


504         MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

killed  many  Sioux.  The  different  soldiers  (i.  e., 
Ouster's  battalion)  that  the  Sioux  killed  made  five 
brave  stands.  Once  the  Sioux  charged  right  in  the 
midst  of  the  different  soldiers  and  scattered  them 
all,  fighting  among  the  soldiers  hand  to  hand. 

"  One  band  of  soldiers  was  in  the  rear  of  the 
Sioux.  When  this  band  of  soldiers  charged  the 
Sioux  fell  back,  and  the  Sioux  and  the  soldiers 
stood  facing  each  other.  Then  all  the  Sioux  be 
came  brave  and  charged  the  soldiers.  The  Sioux 
went  but  a  short  distance  before  they  separated 
and  surrounded  the  soldiers.  I  could  see  the  of 
ficers  riding  in  front  of  the  soldiers  and  hear  them 
shouting.  Now  the  Sioux  had  many  killed.  The 
soldiers  killed  136  and  wounded  160  Sioux.  The 
Sioux  killed  all  these  different  soldiers  in  the  ra 
vine. 

6  i  The  soldiers  charged  the  Sioux  camp  farthest 
up  the  river.  A  short  time  after  the  different  sol 
diers  charged  the  village  below.  While  the  differ 
ent  soldiers  and  Sioux  were  fighting  together  the 
Sioux  chief  said :  i  Sioux  men,  go  watch  the  sol 
diers  on  the  hill  and  prevent  their  joining  the  dif 
ferent  soldiers. '  The  Sioux  men  took  the  clothing 
off  the  dead  and  dressed  themselves  in  it.  Among 
the  soldiers  were  white  men  who  were  not  soldiers. 
The  Sioux  dressed  in  the  soldiers'  and  white  men's 
clothing  fought  the  soldiers  on  the  hill. 

"  The  banks  of  the  Little  Big  Horn  Eiver  were 
high,  and  the  Sioux  killed  many  of  the  soldiers 
while  crossing.  The  soldiers  on  the  hill  dug  up  the 
ground  (i.  e.,  made  earthworks),  and  the  soldiers 
and  Sioux  fought  at  long  range,  sometimes  the 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  505 

Sioux  charging  close  up.  The  fight  continued  at 
long  range  until  a  Sioux  man  saw  the  walking  sol 
diers  coming.  When  the  walking  soldiers  came 
near  the  Sioux  became  afraid  and  ran  away." 

In  this  terrible  engagement  a  large  number  of 
Cheyennes  under  Chief  Dull  Knife  participated. 
He  was  seconded  by  Little  Wolf  and  Standing 
Elk,  two  of  his  bravest  warriors,  and  by  High 
Wolf,  who  was  a  medicine  man  and  a  Dreamer. 
Of  High  Wolf  Captain  Bourke  said:  "  He  had 
been  proud  to  wear  as  his  pet  decoration  a  neck 
lace  of  human  fingers,  which  he  knew  had  fallen 
into  my  possession. "  Of  this  necklace  I  shall  have 
more  to  say  in  another  chapter. 

On  the  morning  after  the  battle  the  Indians 
resumed  fighting  and  continued  until  late  that  day, 
when,  on  learning  of  the  approach  of  General 
Terry's  command,  they  hastily  started  for  the 
Canadian  frontier. 

General  Terry  arrived  too  late  to  save  Custer. 
But  he  brought  relief  to  Major  Reno  and  his 
troops,  who  had  become  separated  at  some  distance 
from  Custer,  and  was  prevented  by  a  great  number 
of  warriors  from  joining  him.  Reno  was  hemmed 
in  by  Indians,  and  but  for  the  timely  arrival  of 
General  Terry's  command  his  troops  would  cer 
tainly  have  shared  Custer 's  fate.  Of  the  arrival  of 
General  Terry  Captain  Godfrey,  who  was  with 
Reno,  and  whose  account  of  what  happened  was 
published  in  the  Century  magazine,  says: 

"  About  9.30  A.  M.  a  cloud  of  dust  was  observed 
several  miles  down  the  river.  The  assembly  was 
sounded,  the  horses  were  placed  in  a  protected  situ- 


506  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

ation,  and  camp  kettles  and  canteens  were  filled 
with  water.  An  hour  of  suspense  followed,  but 
from  the  slow  advance  we  concluded  that  they  were 
our  own  troops.  '  But  whose  command  is  it  ? ' 
We  looked  in  vain  for  a  gray-horse  troop ;  it  could 
not  be  Ouster ;  it  must  then  be  Crook,  for  if  it  was 
Terry,  Ouster  would  be  with  him.  Cheer  after 
cheer  was  given  for  Crook.  A  white  man,  Harris, 
I  think,  soon  came  up  with  a  note  from  General 
Terry,  addressed  to  General  Custer,  dated  June 
26th,  stating  that  two  of  our  Crow  scouts  had  given 
information  that  our  column  had  been  whipped  and 
nearly  all  had  been  killed ;  that  he  did  not  believe 
their  story,  but  was  coming  with  medical  assist 
ance.  The  scout  said  that  he  could  not  get  to  our 
lines  the  night  before,  as  the  Indians  were  on  the 
alert.  Very  soon  after  this  Lieutenant  Bradley, 
Seventh  Infantry,  came  into  our  lines  and  asked 
where  I  was.  Greeting  most  cordially  my  old 
friend,  I  immediately  asked,  '  Where  is  Custer  ? ' 
He  replied,  '  I  don't  know,  but  I  suppose  he  was 
killed,  as  we  counted  one  hundred  and  ninety-seven 
dead  bodies.  I  don't  suppose  any  escaped.'  We 
were  simply  dumbfounded.  This  was  the  first  in 
timation  we  had  of  his  fate.  It  was  hard  to  realize ; 
it  did  seem  impossible. 

"  General  Terry  and  staff  and  officers  of  Gen 
eral  Gibbon's  column  soon  after  approached,  and 
their  coming  was  greeted  with  prolonged  hearty 
cheers.  The  grave  countenance  of  the  general 
awed  the  men  to  silence.  The  officers  assembled  to 
meet  their  guests.  There  was  scarcely  a  dry  eye, 
hardly  a  word  was  spoken,  but  quivering  of  lips 


THE  KNOLL  ON  THE  BATTLE-FIELD  OF  THE  LITTLE  BIG  HORN 
WHERE  GENERAL  CUSTER  AND  HIS  MEN  FELL  AND  WERE 
BURIED. 

The  cross  marks  the  spot  where  General  Custer  fell.  Gravestones  mark  the 
places  where  some  of  his  soldiers  fell  around  him.  General  Custer's  monument  is  at 
the  top  of  the  knoll.  One  hundred  and  ninety-two  soldiers  killed  in  this  battle  are 
buried  on  this  spot. 


SOLDIERS'   CEMETERY  ON  CUSTER'S   BATTLE-FIELD. 

The  remains  of  one  hundred  and  six  soldiers  massacred  by  Indians  at  Fort  Phil 
Kearney  were  removed  to  Custer's  battle-field  and  buried  on  this  spot.  The  white  spots 
in  the  distance  mark  places  where  some  of  Custer's  men  fell  at  the  battle  of  the  Little 
Big  Horn. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  509 

and  hearty  grasping  of  hands  gave  token  of  thank 
fulness  for  the  relief  and  grief  for  the  misfor 
tune.  .  .  . 

"  On  the  morning  of  the  28th  we  left  our  in- 
trenchments  to  bury  the  dead  of  Ouster's  com 
mand.  The  morning  was  bright,  and  from  the  high 
bluffs  we  had  a  clear  view  of  Ouster's  battle-field. 
We  saw  a  large  number  of  objects  that  looked  like 
white  boulders  scattered  over  the  field.  Glasses 
were  brought  into  requisition,  and  it  was  an 
nounced  that  these  objects  were  the  dead  bodies. 
Captain  Weir  exclaimed,  '  Oh,  how  white  they 
look!' 

"All  the  bodies,  except  a  few,  were  stripped  of 
their  clothing.  According  to  my  recollection  nearly 
all  were  scalped  or  mutilated,  but  there  was  one 
notable  exception,  that  of  General  Ouster,  whose 
face  and  expression  were  natural ;  he  had  been  shot 
in  the  temple  and  in  the  left  side.  Many  faces  had 
a  pained,  almost  terrified  expression.  It  is  said 
that  Rain-in-the-Face,  a  Sioux  warrior,  has  gloried 
that  he  had  cut  out  and  had  eaten  the  heart  and 
liver  of  one  of  the  officers.  Other  bodies  were 
mutilated  in  a  disgusting  manner.  The  bodies  of 
Dr.  Lord  and  Lieutenants  Porter,  Harrington, 
and  Sturgis  were  not  found,  at  least  not  recognized. 
The  clothing  of  Porter  and  Sturgis  was  found  in 
the  village,  and  showed  that  they  had  been  killed. 
We  buried,  according  to  my  memoranda,  two  hun 
dred  and  twelve  bodies." 


CHAPTEE  XXXIX. 

GENERAL  MACKENZIE'S  FIGHT  WITH  THE  NORTHERN  CHEY- 

ENNES  — A  NIGHT  ATTACK  ON  AN  INDIAN  CAMP  — 

INDIAN  BRAVERY  — A  STORY  OF  TERRIBLE 

SUFFERING. 

"The  Bravest  Tribe  of  Indians  on  this  Continent"  —  Crazy  Horse  and 
His  Band  of  Sioux  —  Dull  Knife  and  His  Fierce  Cheyennes  —  In 
dian  Scouts  and  Allies  —  Searching  for  Camps  of  Hostile  Indians  — 
Sitting  Bear  and  His  White  Flag  —  MacKenzie's  Search  for  the 
Cheyenne  Village  —  Campaigning  with  the  Thermometer  Thirty 
Degrees  Below  Zero  —  Night  Attack  on  the  Unsuspecting  Cheyennes 

—  Death  of  Lieutenant  McKinney  —  Examples  of  Reckless  Bravery 

—  Setting  Fire  to  the  Indian  Village  —  Relics  of  the  Custer  Massa 
cre —  Unparalleled  Sufferings  of  the  Indians  —  Women  and  Chil 
dren  Frozen  to  Death  —  End  of  a  Bitter  War. 


T 


HE  Northern  Cheyennes  have  been  called 
"  the  bravest  tribe  of  Indians  on  this  conti 
nent,  ' '  but  they  were  completely  crushed  by 
General  Eanald  S.  MacKenzie  in  a  fierce  fight  in 
the  foothills  of  the  Big  Horn  Mountains,  when 
Dull  Knife  lost  his  power  and  his  desire  ever  to 
fight  the  whites  again. 

I  knew  MacKenzie  when  he  was  a  cadet  at  West 
Point.  He  was  in  a  class  that  I  taught  which  en 
tered  the  Military  Academy  in  1858  and  finished  its 
course  in  1862.  During  the  Civil  War  he  displayed 
an  ability,  dash,  and  courage,  especially  in  the 
cavalry  service,  which  constantly  brought  him  into 
notice,  and  while  his  health  continued  there  was  no 
more  reliable  commander  for  a  district  or  an  active 
campaign. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  511 

During  the  winter  of  1876  General  Crook  was 
commanding  the  Department  of  the  Platte.  As  a 
consequence  of  the  Ouster  massacre,  and  the  fights 
which  the  troops  were  constantly  engaged  in  with 
the  Indians  in  Crook's  and  Terry's  geographical 
departments,  the  spirit  of  the  hostiles  had  not  been 
broken,  but  had  grown  even  more  confident  and  de 
termined.  For  the  winter  season  the  Indians  had, 
as  usual,  separated  into  villages  and  pitched  their 
lodges  in  some  sheltered  ravines  among  the  foot 
hills  of  the  Big  Horn  Mountains.  Crazy  Horse 
had  a  large  body  of  Sioux  somewhere  on  the  tribu 
taries  of  the  Big  Horn,  while  Dull  Knife  had  a 
smaller  village  of  Northern  Cheyennes. 

General  Crook,  who  had  more  experience  in  In 
dian  warfare  than  any  of  our  general  officers, 
thought  it  would  be  wise  to  strike  the  Indians  in  a 
winter  campaign,  where  our  troops  would  have  the 
advantage  of  being  better  prepared  for  moving 
and  for  resisting  the  terrific  cold  of  Wyoming  and 
Montana. 

General  Crook  fixed  upon  Fort  Fetterman, 
famous  in  our  annals  for  Indian  battles  of  the  past, 
as  the  place  for  gathering  his  troops.  Here  he  as 
sembled  eleven  companies  of  cavalry  under  Mac- 
Kenzie  and  eleven  of  infantry  and  four  of  artil 
lery  under  Colonel  Richard  I.  Dodge. 

General  Crook  was  especially  successful  in  se 
curing  Indian  allies,  who  were  always  more  effect 
ive  than  whites  as  scouts,  and  very  often  acted  no 
small  part  in  battle.  He  drew  for  this  campaign 
large  quotas  from  the  friendly  Sioux,  Cheyennes, 
Pawnees,  Arapahoes,  and  Shoshones,  with  a  few 


512  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Bannocks  and  Nez  Perces.  These  lie  had  at  the 
start.  A  little  later  the  Crows  added  a  consider 
able  contingent,  which  joined  his  expedition  about 
ninety  miles  ahead,  near  old  Fort  Reno.  The 
strength  of  his  command  was  then,  all  told,  about 
nineteen  hundred  men,— fifteen  hundred  white 
troops  and  four  hundred  Indian  scouts.  The 
scouts  were  not  a  single  body  by  themselves,  but 
were  divided  into  detachments,  and  over  each  de 
tachment  was  placed  an  army  officer  who  had  the 
confidence  of  the  Indians  and  considerable  knowl 
edge  of  the  country.  These  Indian  scouts  were 
picked  men  and  could  not  be  excelled  by  any  of  the 
hostiles  in  bravery,  energy,  or  endurance. 

General  Crook  was  to  use  wagons  as  far  as  he 
could  conveniently  take  them,  but  beyond  that  he 
depended  upon  his  pack  train.  The  pack  trains, 
so  essential  beyond  wagon  transportation,  were  in 
charge  of  a  competent  and  experienced  man,  and 
in  men,  material,  mules,  and  discipline  were  as 
complete  as  any  company  of  the  expedition. 

I  seem  to  see  the  column  as  it  drew  out  from 
Fetterman,  where,  as  the  historian  says:  "  The 
scene  was  certainly  most  picturesque  and  full  of 
animation ;  everything  moved  like  clockwork. 
Each  man,  horse,  wagon,  and  mule  was  in  proper 
place."  A  reasonably  comfortable  march,  consid 
ering  the  extreme  cold,  was  made,  averaging  about 
twenty-five  miles  a  day.  The  Indian  scouts  were 
kept  out  many  miles  to  the  right  and  left  and  front. 
Nothing  escaped  their  observation.  When  they 
met  prospectors,  white  horse  thieves,  or  Indians, 
they  promptly  galloped  in  and  reported. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  513 

General  Crook  thought  at  this  time  that  the 
principal  hostile  Sioux  village,  under  Crazy  Horse, 
was  on  the  Rosebud  toward  the  Big  Horn  Moun 
tains,  and  a  search  was  begun  for  it.  As  they  were 
marching  along  Sitting  Bear,  a  friendly  Cheyenne 
scout,  appeared  carrying  a  white  flag.  He  had  just 
come  from  the  Red  Cloud  agency  and  was  on  his 
way  to  try  to  secure  a  surrender  from  Crazy  Horse 
before  a  battle  should  be  brought  on.  He  brought 
important  information;  it  was  to  the  effect  that 
there  was  a  large  Cheyenne  village  somewhere  near 
the  sources  of  the  fork  on  which  they  were  moving, 
and  not  far  away.  It  was  situated  in  a  deep  and 
well-sheltered  ravine,  but  was  only  to  be  seen  on 
close  approach.  The  Cheyennes  were  in  ignorance 
that  their  camp  had  been  discovered. 

Crook's  objective  was  Crazy  Horse,  but  on  re 
ceiving  this  information  he  instantly  changed  his 
plans.  The  exact  location  of  the  Cheyennes  was 
not  known  to  the  scouts,  but  they  immediately  pro 
ceeded  cautiously  up  Crazy  Woman's  Fork.  Mac- 
Kenzie  was  detached  with  his  cavalry  and  a  part  of 
the  scouts  to  find  the  Cheyenne  village,  while  Crook 
kept  with  him  the  remainder  of  the  command.  On 
the  23d  of  November  MacKenzie  marched  in  the  di 
rection  of  the  Cheyenne  camp.  His  Indian  allies 
soon  were  far  ahead,  and  preceding  all  by  eight  or 
ten  miles,  was  a  very  small  detachment  of  Indian 
scouts,  selected  with  special  reference  to  their 
knowledge  of  this  section  of  country,  their  cool 
ness,  good  judgment  and  experience  in  war. 

The  cold  was  becoming  more  and  more  intense ; 
often  at  night  the  thermometer  ranged  as  low  as 

30 


514  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

thirty  degrees  below  zero.  After  their  first  bivouac 
the  cavalry,  as  they  struggled  along,  had  great 
difficulty  in  passing  deep-cut  ravines,  dry  enough 
at  the  time,  but  filled  with  rushing  water  in  the 
springtime.  The  banks  were  then  steep  and  frozen 
solid,  so  that  they  had  to  be  cut  through  in  order  to 
get  down  to  the  bottom  and  ascend  the  other  side. 
While  MacKenzie  was  doing  this  and  keeping  his 
command  well  closed  up,  the  advance  scouts  came 
rushing  back  with  news  that  the  much  sought  Chey 
enne  village  was  very  near.  Two  of  the  scouts, 
Eed  Shirt  and  another  Indian,  remained  at  the 
front,  hiding  among  the  crags  that  overlooked  the 
village. 

MacKenzie  did  not  hasten.  He  waited  till  the 
moon  would  give  him  sufficient  light  to  work  his 
way  up  the  ravine  of  Willow  Creek  to  the  village. 
Bourke,  who  was  present,  says:  "All  night  we 
groped  our  way,  floundering,  slipping,  struggling 
over  smooth  knolls  of  glassy  surface,  making  the 
slowest  kind  of  progress  but  still  advancing.  Not 
a  word  was  spoken  above  a  whisper.  Not  a  match 
was  lighted,  and  the  soldier's  faithful  friend— his 
pipe— was  not  allowed  outside  the  saddle  bag." 

At  last  a  halt  was  called.  The  Indian  scouts 
and  all  the  cavalry  were  formed  and  ready  for  the 
word.  MacKenzie  left  no  time  for  anxious  sus 
pense.  The  Cheyennes  were  not  asleep.  The 
sound  of  their  tom-toms  and  the  shouts  of  dancers 
could  be  distinctly  heard.  They  were  indulging  in 
a  grand  war  dance  in  honor  of  a  victory  over  a 
party  of  Shoshones. 

The  word  "  gallop  "  was  given  and  the  cavalry 


AMONG  OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  515 

rushed  forward  in  a  terrific  charge  up  the  ravine, 
which  opened  wider  as  it  came  to  the  lodges  strewn 
for  some  two  or  three  hundred  yards  along  the 
creek.  The  hostile  Cheyennes  had  barely  time 
enough  before  the  cavalry  was  actually  upon  them 
to  run  off  their  old  men,  women,  and  children,  with 
whatever  clothes  they  had  on,  to  shelter  among  the 
steep  crags  and  behind  protecting  rocks  and  trees, 
while  some  of  the  warriors,  hastily  grasping  their 
rifles  and  ammunition,  ran  to  the  nearest  cover. 

The  shouting  of  white  men  and  the  yelling  of 
Indian  scouts  made  a  fearful  din,  but  the  hostiles 
quickly  crept  into  positions  of  such  great  strength 
as  to  check  MacKenzie 's  advance.  Seeing  a  strong 
defensive  bed  of  rocks  and  crags  held  by  the  hos 
tiles,  MacKenzie  ordered  Lieutenant  John  A.  Mc- 
Kinney  to  carry  it  with  his  company.  McKinney 
made  a  gallant  charge,  but  his  horse  was  wounded 
and  he  was  slain,  and  several  of  his  men  were  killed 
or  wounded.  Other  officers  of  his  regiment  brought 
their  companies  to  his  assistance,  while  the  Indian 
scouts  gradually  worked  up  and  occupied  a  higher 
peak.  From  there  they  delivered  a  descending  fire 
upon  the  Cheyennes'  position  and  it  was  soon 
taken.  Other  scouts,  under  good  leadership,  had 
gathered  nearly  all  the  herd  of  horses  belonging  to 
the  Cheyennes. 

It  was  evident  that  MacKenzie  had  won  his 
battle,  but  the  Cheyennes  would  not  surrender. 
One  of  the  friendly  scouts  succeeded  in  reaching 
and  talking  with  Dull  Knife,  the  principal  chief  of 
the  hostile  Cheyennes,  who  asserted  that  he  had 
lost  three  of  his  children  in  the  battle  and  that  he 


516  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

himself  would  like  to  give  up,  but  that  Little  Wolf, 
Old  Bear,  Grey  Head,  Roman  Nose,  and  other  lead 
ing  Indians  would  not  consent.  To  the  friendly 
Cheyennes  some  of  the  host-lies  cried  out:  "  Go 
home,  you  have  no  business  here.  We  can  whip 
the  white  soldiers  alone,  but  can't  fight  you  too! ': 
They  stated  also  that  they  were  sure  of  getting  help 
from  Crazy  Horse. 

The  reckless  bravery  displayed  by  some  of  the 
Cheyennes,  even  after  the  contest  was  hopeless,  is 
remarkable.  One  brave,  wearing  the  war  bonnet 
of  a  chief  and  carrying  a  buffalo  hide  shield,  rode 
out  defiantly  into  the  open.  He  was  fired  at  from 
every  direction  by  the  troops,  but  none  of  the  bul 
lets  reached  him.  He  laughed  at  his  Indian  foes 
and  derided  them,  when  a  lieutenant,  taking  steady 
aim,  hit  him,  and  he  fell  dying  from  his  horse. 

In  the  midst  of  the  tumult  that  followed  the 
fall  of  this  bold  warrior  a  young  brave,  a  friend 
of  the  fallen,  mounted  on  a  swift  pony,  rushed 
from  the  midst  of  the  hostile  Cheyennes;  he  also 
carried  a  shield  of  buffalo  hide,  and  one  that 
proved  to  be  of  extraordinary  hardness.  This 
fearless  young  brave  directed  his  horse  toward  his 
fallen  friend.  The  air  was  full  of  hissing  bullets. 
Faster  and  faster  horse  and  rider  went,  and  both 
seemed  to  have  a  charmed  life,  for  nothing  touched 
him  or  his  steed.  Dismounting  he  lifted  the  body 
of  his  friend  and  threw  it  across  the  pony  in  front 
of  the  pommel,  then  remounting  moved  slowly 
back  to  where  his  comrades  were  defending  the 
rocks  and  crags.  When  he  had  almost  reached  the 
safety  of  a  ravine  several  bullets  pierced  him 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  519 

through  and  through,  and  he,  too,  dropped  from 
his  horse  dead. 

General  MacKenzie  now  believed  it  the  wisest 
policy  to  utterly  wipe  out  the  Cheyenne  village. 
Two  troops  of  cavalry  were  assigned  to  this  work 
and  it  took  them  the  entire  night  to  destroy  the  In 
dian  camp,  with  plenty  of  fuel  gathered  and  at 
hand  to  aid  the  burning.  There  were  two  hundred 
lodges,  some  being  covered  with  large  buffalo  skins 
to  make  them  comfortable  during  the  bitter  cold  of 
winter.  There  was  plenty  of  ammunition,  an  im 
mense  supply  of  buffalo  meat,  and  other  pro 
visions,  fur  robes  and  peltries  of  every  description, 
together  with  hammers,  knives,  spades,  shovels, 
picks,  axes,  and  innumerable  utensils. 

What  arrested  the  special  attention  of  the  of 
ficers  were  the  hundreds  of  articles  that  had  been 
captured  in  the  Ouster  massacre.  Among  them 
were  personal  articles  of  value,  with  the  names  of 
the  slain  officers  upon  them;  and  letters  were 
found  that  had  been  written  by  some  of  Ouster's 
men  just  before  the  massacre  and  were  ready  for 
mailing. 

The  large  number  of  valuable  fur  robes,  beau 
tifully  ornamented,  and  the  great  amount  of  In 
dian  furniture  destroyed  on  that  night  shows  that 
the  Cheyennes  had  already  accumulated  consider 
able  wealth,  together  \vith  much  that  belonged  to 
civilization.  With  the  exception  of  a  few  articles 
stolen  by  some  of  the  Indian  scouts,  everything 
was  consumed. 

MacKenzie 's  losses  were  one  commissioned  of 
ficer  and  six  enlisted  men  killed  and  twenty-six 


520  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

wounded.  After  a  few  weeks  it  was  ascertained, 
from  the  Indians'  own  testimony  after  they  had 
surrendered,  that  they  had  forty  killed,  but  the 
number  of  wounded  they  were  never  willing  to 
give.  They  stated  also  that  eleven  infants  were 
afterwards  frozen  to  death  while  being  carried  in 
the  arms  of  their  destitute  and  starving  mothers. 
Many  women,  unprovided  with  clothing,  perished 
from  the  cold.  It  was  stated  further  that  some 
ponies  were  killed  in  order  to  preserve  the  old  and 
feeble  from  dying,  by  inserting  their  feet  within 
their  warm  bodies. 

Colonel  E.  I.  Dodge  vividly  describes  the  hor 
rors  of  that  flight.  He  says:  "  Unfortunately, 
the  preceding  night  had  been  intensely  cold,  not 
less  than  twenty  degrees  below  zero.  Indians 
when  in  camp,  and  unsuspicious  of  danger,  habitu 
ally  sleep  naked.  The  Cheyennes  were  so,  and, 
aroused  as  they  were,  had  no  time  to  clothe  them 
selves;  some  few  had  seized  a  blanket  or  robe  in 
their  flight,  but  the  large  majority  had  no  covering 
whatever.  Human  nature  could  not  stand  it,  and 
notwithstanding  their  favorable  tactical  position, 
they  were  compelled  to  get  back  into  the  main  can 
yon,  and  retreat  to  a  position  where  they  could 
build  fires  and  procure  food.  Collecting  what  was 
left  of  their  herds  of  ponies,  they  fled  during  the 
night.  .  .  .  The  sufferings  of  these  Indians 
during  the  three  months  succeeding  the  battle  can 
never  be  known.  Numbers  perished,  principally 
women  and  children.  With  no  food  but  the  flesh 
of  their  ponies,  no  covering  but  the  green  hides  of 
the  same  faithful  animals,  the  survivors  made  their 


AMONG  OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  521 

way  across  the  Big  Horn  Mountains,  and  after  a 
long  and  terrible  march  presented  themselves  to 
Crazy  Horse,  then  encamped  on  Mizpah  Creek. 

"At  no  time  previous  had  the  Cheyennes  been 
otherwise  than  welcome  visitors  to  the  Sioux,  but 
here  was  a  band  of  near  fifteen  hundred  people, 
absolutely  impoverished,  in  want  of  tepees,  cloth 
ing,  food,  everything.  The  warriors  still  pos 
sessed  their  gallant  spirit,  and  burned  for  an  op 
portunity  for  revenge  upon  their  white  enemies, 
but  their  arms  were  in  poor  condition,  their  am 
munition  expended.  It  was  too  great  a  tax  on  the 
Sioux  chieftain,  and  he  received  the  newcomers 
so  coldly  and  with  so  scant  a  charity  that  they  soon 
left  his  inhospitable  camp. 

"  They  had  received  a  blow  far  worse  than  a 
bloody  defeat,  and  from  which  they  knew  it  would 
take  years  to  recover.  Their  women  were  suffer 
ing,  their  children  dying,  Crazy  Horse,  their  last 
hope,  had  failed  them.  Struggle  as  they  might 
their  fate  was  too  hard  for  them,  and  in  1877  they 
came  in  and  surrendered." 

Perhaps  Crazy  Horse  could  not  give  Dull  Knife 
and  his  destitute  Cheyennes  the  aid  and  shelter 
they  sought,  and  preserve  his  own  village,  which 
had  to  be  kept  in  readiness  for  an  attack  that  might 
be  made  at  any  time. 

Spotted  Tail,  who  while  he  lived  was  the  lead 
ing  Sioux  chief,  had  early  made  up  his  mind  that  it 
was  folly  to  contend  further  against  the  govern 
ment.  Doubtless  he  influenced  Crazy  Horse  to 
yield,  for  he  went  to  see  him  and  proved  to  him 
that  there  was  no  help  to  be  expected  from  the 


522  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

scattered  Sioux,  because  Terry  and  Crook  had  so 
stationed  their  troops  that  the  Indians  could  not 
get  away  in  any  large  numbers  from  the  reserva 
tions,  and  that  more  and  more  Indian  scouts  were 
enlisted  every  day,  showing  themselves  on  the  side 
of  the  government.  Crazy  Horse  decided  in  the 
early  spring  to  come  in  and  surrender  himself  and 
all  his  people  to  the  Pine  Eidge  reservation.  But 
Dull  Knife  and  Little  Wolf  had  led  the  way  and 
had  already  surrendered  all  that  remained  of  their 
Cheyennes  after  MacKenzie's  fight,  but  they 
showed  their  bitterness  towrard  Crazy  Horse  and 
the  Sioux  by  asking  only  one  condition:  that  if 
Crazy  Horse  remained  hostile  they  might  help  the 
troops  to  conquer  him  and  destroy  his  village. 

This  surrender  occurred  near  Fort  Robinson, 
Nebraska,  where  the  Northern  Cheyennes  were 
first  placed  under  surveillance,  but  they  were 
finally  sent  to  the  Indian  Territory  and  placed  on 
a  reservation  at  Fort  Reno  (the  new  fort).  The 
remnants  of  the  tribe  numbered  at  that  time  about 
one  thousand  souls.  They  were,  however,  so  bit 
terly  "dissatisfied  with  their  new  home  that  the  gov 
ernment  consented  to  remove  them  again  to  the 
north;  they  were  first  escorted  to  the  Pine  Ridge 
agency,  and  in  1891  a  new  reserve  and  agency  was 
given  them  in  Montana,  just  east  of  the  Crows, 
called  "  The  Tongue  River  Agency." 

But  all  this  was  not  accomplished  without  a 
struggle.  Dull  Knife,  Wild  Hawk,  and  Little 
Wolf,  with  other  chiefs,  had  started  back  to  their 
old  hunting  grounds.  The  army  was  obliged  to  fol 
low  them,  and  desultory  fighting  was  resumed. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  523 

Many  men,  women,  and  children  among  the  set 
tlers  were  killed  by  the  Indians,  and  we  lost  sev 
eral  soldiers  in  the  skirmishes  and  small  battles 
that  took  place.  The  hostiles  were  at  last  captured 
in  Nebraska,  in  October,  1878,  and  after  being  kept 
some  time  under  guard  were  returned  to  the  Indian 
Territory.  The  move  to  Montana  then  followed. 
It  is  declared  in  the  reports  that  in  the  raids  be 
tween  1878  and  1881  more  than  five  hundred  Chey- 
ennes  perished.  Only  a  small  remnant  of  them  at 
last  found  a  resting  place  on  Tongue  River  near 
the  Crow  reservation. 

The  history  of  this  fierce  and  remarkable  tribe, 
if  given  in  detail,  would  show  how  terrific  and  per 
sistent  was  the  struggle  of  the  Indians  of  the 
Plains  to  maintain  their  supremacy  and  independ 
ence.  They  waged  a  long  and  bitter  war  against 
all  influences  to  make  them  submit  to  and  partici 
pate  in  civilization. 


CHAPTER  XL. 

SQUAW  MEN  — HOME  LIFE  OF  WHITE  MEN  WHO  HAVE  MAR 
RIED  INDIAN  WOMEN  —  INCIDENTS. 

White  Men  Who  Marry  Indian  Women  —  Results  of  Intermarrying  with 
Indians  —  Effect  of  Such  Marriages  upon  Indian  Women  —  An 
Indian  Wife's  Efforts  to  Please  Her  White  Husband  — The 
Squaw  Man's  Loss  of  Self-respect  —  A  Shipload  of  Marriageable 
White  Teachers  —  Story  of  an  ex-Governor  Who  Married  an  Indian 
Woman  —  A  Cultured  Frenchman  and  His  Indian  Wife  —  A 
Squaw  Man's  Children  —  Proud  of  Their  Indian  Blood  —  Indian 
Half-Breeds  —  Story  of  a  Government  Official  Who  Married  an 
Indian  Woman  —  Keeping  an  Indian  Wife's  Existence  Secret  —  A 
Bride's  Dissipation  —  Living  the  Life  of  a  Squaw  Man. 

AN  old  friend  has  often  remarked  to  me  that 
the  Bible  story  of  the  children  of  Israel 
and   their  heathen   neighbors   always   re 
minded  him  of  Indian  customs.    The  converse  is 
more  nearly  true,  namely,  that  the  customs  of  our 
Indian  tribes  and  their  relations  to  their  rough 
white  neighbors  often  remind  us  of  the  ancient 
Israelites  and  the  people  who  dwelt  in  their  vi 
cinity. 

In  the  tribe  of  Dan,  for  example,  Sampson,  a 
giant  in  strength,  seems  to  have  been  set  apart  for 
the  punishment  of  wicked  Philistines  who  were 
uncomfortable  neighbors  to  the  Danites.  On  one 
occasion  Sampson  went  down  to  Timnath  and  saw 
a  Philistine  woman  who  delighted  his  eyes,  so  he 
said  to  his  father :  "  Get  her  for  me,  for  she  pleas- 
eth  me  well."  Sampson  married  her,  and  the  re 
sult  of  uniting  Hebrew  and  heathen  was  a  most 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  525 

unhappy  life  for  both.  By  threats  of  burning  her 
and  her  father's  house,  the  heathen  enemies  of 
Israel  succeeded  in  making  her  betray  her  hus 
band,  and  through  this  treachery  a  terrific  war  was 
brought  on.  The  story  is  familiar  to  all. 

A  like  experience,  as  thoroughly  true,  has  often 
repeated  itself  among  scores  of  our  Indian  tribes. 
On  our  frontiers  the  white  man,  whether  Spaniard, 
Mexican,  Frenchman,  Englishman,  or  American, 
who  married  an  Indian  woman  was  called  a ' l  squaw 
man,"  and  in  not  a  few  instances  the  squaw  man 
suffered  betrayal,  like  Sampson  of  old.  Then  fol 
lowed  relentless  Indian  wars,  accompanied  with 
outrage,  burnings,  and  slaughter ;  but  as  far  as  my 
observation  goes  the  results  have  not  been  uni 
formly  bad. 

Naturally,  a  civilized  white  man  is  lowered  in 
many  respects  by  marrying  an  uncivilized  Indian 
woman ;  still,  many  an  Indian  woman  married  to  a 
white  man  has  borne  him  worthy  children. 

I  have  seldom  visited  a  tribe  of  Indians  without 
finding  at  least  one  white  man  married  to  an  Indian 
woman.  Frequently  the  wife  learned  from  him 
to  live  in  a  house,  and  to  do,  often  in  a  rough  way, 
it  is  true,  such  work  as  white  women  did  in  the 
home  of  his  youth.  Her  marriage  to  a  white  man 
elevated  her  to  a  higher  plane  of  living  than  that 
of  the  tepee  or  the  lodge ;  she  learned  to  dress  fairly 
well,  and  in  most  cases  showed  herself  to  be  a  true 
friend  and  companion  to  her  husband,  but  too  often 
the  man  himself  descended  to  a  much  lower  level 
than  that  in  which  he  was  reared  in  his  early  home. 
His  personal  cleanliness  suffered ;  his  clothing  be- 


526  MY  LITE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

came  shabby,  and  his  self-respect  degraded.  In 
such  a  pair  the  man  soon  lost  his  dignity  and 
showed  indifference  to  his  former  habits  and  life, 
while  the  woman  usually  showed  even  more  pride 
than  the  wife  of  an  Indian  chief.  Still,  she  could 
not  compete  with  her  wiiite  sisters  in  the  essentials 
of  a  prosperous  and  well-ordered  home  life. 

Many  years  ago  a  young  man  who  had  come 
from  the  East  settled  upon  a  farm  near  Fort  Ste 
vens,  Oregon.  That  was  before  an  ex-governor  of 
what  was  then  Washington  Territory  sent  a  ship 
load  of  marriageable  white  teachers  around  Cape 
Horn,  when  white  women  in  that  territory  were 
few  and  far  between.  Under  the  circumstances 
he  did  the  best  he  could.  He  himself  married  a 
woman  of  a  neighboring  Indian  tribe.  He  carried 
on  a  good  trade  with  the  garrison  at  the  fort,  was 
enterprising,  and  often  obtained  fat  contracts, 
which  enabled  him  to  accumulate  a  comfortable 
fortune. 

His  Indian  wife  was  a  good  woman,  hard-work 
ing,  and  faithful.  Her  love  for  him  caused  her  to 
learn  all  she  could,  and  to  study  to  make  his  home 
more  and  more  acceptable  as  the  years  went  on, 
but  she  was  very  careful  to  keep  apart  from  white 
women.  She  became  the  mother  of  good  children, 
who  learned,  as  they  grew  to  manhood  and  woman 
hood,  to  dress  better  than  their  mother,  and  to 
gather  much  useful  knowledge,  social  and  practical, 
from  other  American  youth.  The  eldest  son  suc 
ceeded  his  father  in  an  honest  and  profitable  busi 
ness,  and  the  daughters  all  married  well.  In  this 
family  the  results  of  a  mixed  marriage  were  good, 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  527 

but  who  can  tell  of  the  heartburnings  of  the  father 
and  mother  during  the  period  of  their  children's 
development  ? 

In  eastern  Oregon  a  few  years  ago  lived  a  fam 
ily  that  I  knew  very  well.  The  husband  was  a  tall, 
dark-eyed  Frenchman.  At  one  time,  and  in  fact 
for  many  years,  he  was  a  trusted  employee  of  the 
government.  He  had  three  beautiful  daughters 
by  his  Indian  wife.  In  grace  of  figure  and  move 
ment,  in  elegance  of  attire,  and  in  the  varied  ac 
complishments  of  gifted  women  few  could  surpass 
them.  The  wife  and  mother,  however,  at  the  time 
I  visited  them,  always  kept  in  the  kitchen.  She 
was  really  the  servant  of  the  household.  She  did 
not  speak  French,  knew  but  little  English,  and 
shrank  from  every  social  attention.  Though  she 
advanced  far  beyond  the  women  of  her  tribe,  she 
never  for  one  moment  forgot  that  she  was  an  In 
dian,  so  that  even  in  this  successful  instance  of 
white  and  Indian  intermarriage  it  was  next  to  im 
possible  for  that  polished  French  gentleman  to 
rise  in  the  estimation  of  his  white  neighbors  above 
the  commonly  recognized  condition  of  a  "  squaw 


man.' 


The  old  voyageurs,  French  emigrants  to  the  far 
West  from  Canada,  who  served  the  northwestern 
fur  companies  and  traveled  largely  through  the 
wilds  of  Oregon,  were  encouraged  to  settle  in  fer 
tile  valleys,  whose  small  rivers  and  creeks  con 
tributed  to  swell  the  waters  of  the  great  Columbia. 
They  naturally  married  Indian  women.  It  was 
the  policy  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  in  par 
ticular  to  favor  such  marriages.  In  my  travels 


528  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

through  the  Department  of  the  Columbia  I  was 
constantly  meeting  young  half-breeds,  descendants 
of  those  enterprising  French  voyageurs,  who  were 
the  first  white  men  to  appear  in  the  vast  region  of 
the  Northwest.  They  were  not  the  equals  of  the 
best  business  people  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  though 
some  of  them  were  on  the  front  line  of  progress. 
Yet  they  were  at  all  times  a  kind,  hospitable, 
steady,  industrious,  self-supporting  people.  Their 
sires  or  their  grandsires  had  taken  Indian  wromen 
for  wives,  and  many  of  their  descendants  in  Ore 
gon,  Washington,  and  Idaho  are  today  proud  of 
their  Indian  blood. 

I  have  already  spoken  of  my  first  visit  to  the 
Spokane  country  and  of  a  wedding  which  occurred 
near  the  Spokane  bridge.  At  that  bridge  was  a 
white  man  who  exemplified  the  poorer  class  of 
squaw  men.  He  took  the  meager  toll  of  passers-by 
and  lived  in  a  wretched  apology  of  a  house.  The 
Indian  lodges  were  far  preferable  to  his  home, 
particularly  in  cleanliness  and  order.  He  had  a 
poor,  hopeless-looking  Indian  wife,  and  numerous 
half -wild  children,  who  gazed  from  under  their 
shaggy  locks  with  timid  curiosity  upon  strangers, 
and  ran  instantly  to  cover  upon  our  approach. 
This  family  appeared  to  me,  at  first  thought,  to  be 
beneath  the  level  of  the  best  of  the  uncivilized  In 
dians,  yet  before  this  twentieth  century  began  the 
country  had  become  settled,  Spokane  Falls  had 
become  a  city,  and  schools  had  been  established  so 
near  that  bridge  that  all  the  little  ones  of  this  In 
dian  household  had  for  some  years  the  opportunity 
of  being  educated  with  white  children,  and  some  of 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  529 

them  have  grown  up  to  be  enterprising  young  men 
and  women  and  prosperous  citizens  of  the  State 
of  Washington. 

Again  referring  to  the  people  of  Israel,  we 
have  seen  in  the  Bible  that  a  certain  Levite  mar 
ried  a  woman  of  Bethlehem,  and  that,  notwith 
standing  that  she  was  his  wife  and  he  himself  is 
distinctly  named  in  the  records  as  her  husband, 
our  translation  calls  her  his  concubine.  Several 
similar  intermarriages  have  taken  place  between 
whites  and  Indians  on  what  was  once  called  our 
frontier.  For  example:  an  old  and  distinguished 
government  official,  whose  name  should  I  repeat  it 
would  be  recognized  anywhere  in  this  country,  was 
married  to  an  Indian  woman.  The  pair  had  a  little 
girl  born  to  them,  but  for  some  reason  the  father 
left  his  Indian  wife,  probably  giving  her  a  divorce 
after  the  Indian  fashion.  He  then  married  a  lady 
of  his  own  people,  and  since  then  he  and  his  wife 
have  brought  up  a  large  and  beautiful  family.  The 
squaw  wife,  after  the  husband  had  separated  from 
her,  went  back  to  her  tribe,  taking  the  child  with 
her. 

On  one  of  my  trips  to  Puget  Sound  I  visited  the 
schools  of  Father  Chirouse  and  there  learned  that 
this  child  had  been  for  some  years  attending  the 
school,  and  was  then  about  fourteen  years  of  age. 
Already  an  enterprising  young  Frenchman  had  set 
his  eyes  upon  the  beautiful  girl  and  an  announce 
ment  of  their  approaching  marriage  had  just  been 
made.  I  managed  to  be  at  Tulalip  at  that  time  and 
was  present  at  the  wedding.  It  seemed  a  pity  that 
a  girl  should  be  married  so  young,  but  Father  Chi- 


530  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

rouse  said  that  it  was  a  good  thing  for  young 
people  to  marry  early ;  that  it  was  the  very  begin 
ning  of  right  living  and  proper  training.  The 
little  half-breed,  with  a  fair  bit  of  education, 
started  in  as  a  housekeeper  in  a  neat  cottage,  while 
her  enterprising  husband  maintained  the  family 
by  log-work  at  a  neighboring  mill.  Before  our 
Father  above  the  mother  of  that  half-breed  girl 
was  doubtless,  like  the  concubine  of  the  ancient 
Levite,  a  ~bona  fide  wife.  Men,  however,  who  rise 
so  high  in  the  world  as  her  husband  did  were  never 
called  squaw  men,  and  often  in  later  years  the  fact 
of  the  Indian  wife's  existence  was  carefully  sup 
pressed. 

The  son  of  a  leading  citizen,  in  the  wild  days 
of  his  youth,  thought  it  would  be  an  amusing 
surprise  to  his  friends,  and  certainly  gratifying  to 
himself,  to  marry  an  Indian  girl.  The  maiden  he 
selected  was  bright  and  handsome,  and,  under  the 
care  of  some  Sisters  of  the  Catholic  faith,  had  re 
ceived  a  fair  education  in  the  common  branches  of 
Spanish  and  English.  She  spoke  English  with 
facility,  and  with  a  pretty  accent.  Having  seen 
only  the  rough  camp  life  of  frontiersmen,  scarcely 
ever  having  been  in  contact  with  white  women  ex 
cept  with  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  she  was  flattered 
and  delighted  with  her  prospects,  and  looked  for 
ward  full  of  eager  anticipation  to  performing  all 
the  social  functions  expected  of  a  young  white 
man's  wife. 

After  marriage,  like  some  other  wild  young 
men,  he  drank  freely  of  whisky,  his  favorite  bever 
age,  and  unlike  white  grooms  generally  he  fre- 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  531 

quently  induced  his  Indian  bride  to  drink  with 
him.  Whisky  never  agreed  with  Indian  blood,  and 
it  made  the  young  woman  at  times  wild  and  unman 
ageable.  After  a  time  the  pair  visited  the  nearest 
great  city  and  soon  overturned  all  the  staid  cus 
toms  of  society.  It  took  much  ready  money  and 
all  of  its  influence  to  keep  these  young  people  out 
of  the  clutches  of  the  law. 

For  a  while  our  young  friend  lived  the  life  of  a 
veritable  squaw  man,  and  doubtless  might  have 
been  adopted  into  the  tribe  and  become  a  chief,  and 
led  thousands  of  Indians  in  their  subsequent  wars 
against  white  men.  But  his  hopes  were  nipped  in 
the  bud ;  his  parents  and  influential  friends  inter 
posed  and  forced  him  to  send  the  young  woman 
back  to  her  tribe.  He,  too,  gave  the  Indian  wife  a 
quasi,  Indian  divorce,  and  afterward  married  a 
white  lady  and  raised  a  family.  His  first  bride, 
after  that  one  reckless  frolic  into  which  her  hus 
band  led  her,  never  ceased  to  maintain  a  high  de 
gree  of  self-respect,  and  managed  to  live  and  work 
in  good  homes  of  white  people.  Those  circum 
stances  made  this  a  mesalliance,  yet  in  my  judg 
ment  the  first  marriage  was  the  valid  one,  and  the 
Indian  woman  whom,  as  well  as  her  husband,  I 
knew  for  years,  was  far  superior  to  him. 

A  very  able  gentleman  from  an  eastern  city  fell 
into  evil  ways  and  was  attacked  by  a  terrible 
disease  which  badly  disfigured  his  face.  A  deep 
sense  of  shame  came  over  him,  and  in  profound 
melancholy  he  abandoned  civilized  life  and  began 
to  wander  among  our  Indian  tribes.  I  first  saw 
him  in  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains  of  Arizona. 

31 


532  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

He  was  then  attached  to  a  small  band  of  Indians 
who  had  a  sensible,  good-hearted,  half-civilized 
chief.  He  married,  as  the  chief  told  me,  into  his 
royal  family  and  had  a  goodly  number  of  boys  and 
girls,  who  lived  as  the  Indians  lived. 

The  tribe  was  nomadic;  they  had  no  tepees  or 
lodges,  always  slept  under  the  boughs  of  trees, 
planted  fertile  spots  in  the  springtime  with  both 
corn  and  potatoes,  and  watched  their  herds  of 
ponies.  They  were  always  with  the  wildest  Indians 
when  on  the  warpath.  Our  poor  friend,  though  a 
man  of  culture,  lived  for  many  years  with  the  In 
dians  as  an  Indian  and  was  but  little  more.  He 
was,  however,  at  times  a  sort  of  chief -of -staff  and 
gave  good  advice.  He  preferred  peace  to  war  and 
he  brought  all  his  influence  to  bear  in  that  direc 
tion.  Still,  his  sympathy  for  the  Indians  was  so 
great  that  he  fearlessly  took  their  part  in  all  their 
quarrels  with  their  white  neighbors,  and  somehow 
managed  very  often  to  settle  their  difficulties  ami 
cably,  and  to  prevent  the  frequent  outrages  and 
bloodshed  that  marked  the  line  of  the  frontier. 

When  at  last  the  wild  tribe  to  which  he  be 
longed  was  forced  to  take  up  land  and  be  confined 
on  a  permanent  reserve  this  squaw  man  secured  a 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  three  times  repeated, 
which  were  assigned  to  his  wife  and  children.  At 
last  a  good  house  was  built  in  one  corner  and  near 
it  a  large  barn.  Oats,  barley,  corn,  and  hops  grew 
upon  his  well-chosen  acres.  Fences  were  built, 
trees  planted,  and  orchards  enclosed.  Artesian 
wells  were  sunk,  and  the  water  was  sufficient  to 
irrigate  the  land  that  was  under  cultivation.  Here 


AMONG  OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  533 

was  a  type,  that  I  knew  well,  of  squaw  men  often 
met  in  Arizona,  New  Mexico,  and  elsewhere.  In 
loving  Indian  women  well  enough  to  expatriate 
themselves  these  squaw  men  husbands  neverthe 
less  managed  to  obtain  reasonable  compensation. 

I  do  not  like  the  expression  "  squaw  man,"  for 
if  we  define  the  term  as  we  ought  it  should  mean 
only  the  husband  of  an  Indian  woman.  As  a  matter 
of  fact  such  marriages  have  touched  some  of  the 
highest  in  the  land,  directly  and  indirectly,  includ 
ing  judges  of  the  United  States  courts,  members 
of  Congress,  generals  in  the  army,  officers  of  the 
general  staff,  prominent  merchants,  and  hundreds 
of  citizens  of  the  best  standing  in  the  community 
where  they  lived. 

Two  things  are  often  asserted  and  commonly 
believed  where  Indian  and  civilized  society  come  in 
contact.  One  is  that  the  man  who  marries  an  In 
dian  girl  has  degraded  himself,  and  the  other  is 
that  the  issue  of  such  a  marriage  is  uniformly  bad ; 
that  is,  that  half-breeds  are  bright  and  shrewd 
enough,  but  deficient  in  moral  character.  As  a 
general  statement  this  is  far  from  true. 

I  know  that  nearly  all  of  our  interpreters  and 
many  of  our  guides  were  squaw  men  or  half-breeds, 
and  that  their  moral  character  was  not  always  of 
the  best.  Yet  I  must  say  that  they  compared  favor 
ably  with  our  own  citizens  who  had  white  wives 
and  growing  families,  who  clustered  around  the 
numerous  Indian  reservations  and  were  evidently 
there  for  what  they  could  make. 


CHAPTER  XLI. 

CHARACTERISTICS  OF  AMERICAN  INDIANS  — THE  SIGN  LAN 
GUAGE—THE  SCALP  AND  OTHER  CEREMONIAL 
DANCES  — A  NECKLACE  OF  HUMAN 
FINGERS. 

The  Sign  Language  —  Its  Origin  —  How  Indians  of  Different  Tribes 
Converse  with  Each  Other  —  Curious  Method  of  Communication  — 
Ceremonial  Dances  —  The  Scalp  Dance  —  A  Secret  Performance 
—  Elaborate  Preparations  for  the  Dance  —  Wands  with  Dangling 
Scalps  —  A  Weird  Performance  —  Frenzied  Condition  of  the  Dancers 

—  Nervous  Excitement  of  Spectators  —  Medicine  Bags  and  Totems 

—  A  Necklace  of  Human  Fingers  —  Captain  Bourke's  Story  of  ita 
Capture  —  A   Buckskin   Bag  filled   with   the   Right   Hands   of   Pa 
pooses —  Curious  Contents  of  an  Indian  Medicine  Bag  —  Gruesome 
Ornaments  made  of  Human  Bones. 

I  AM  often  asked,  "  Can  you  speak  the  Indian 
language?  ''  My  answer  is  that  I  would  have 
to  speak  more  than  two  hundred  languages  to 
speak  the  Indian  tongue  of  each  tribe.  Few  real 
ize  how  great  was  the  number  of  these  tribes,  and 
how  marked  the  differences  were  between  them. 
There  is,  however,  a  language  common  to  nearly  all 
Indians,  known  as  "  the  sign  language. "  It  is 
made  by  the  hands,  the  fingers,  the  arms,  and,  in 
fact,  by  motions  of  the  wrhole  body,  and  enables  In 
dians  of  tribes  speaking  different  languages,  to 
hold  intercourse  with  each  other.  Old  frontiers 
men  who  have  long  mingled  with  various  Indian 
tribes  are  nearly  always  experts  in  the  sign  lan 
guage. 

It  was  among  the  Plains  Indians  that  gesture- 


, 


FRIKND  OR  FOE?  —  "STANDING  OFF"   INDIANS. 


A    POWWOW   WITH   THK   CHKYKNNKS   IN   THK   Slc;N     LANGl'AGE. 

COMMUNICATION    BY   SIGNS. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  537 

speech  arrived  at  such  perfection  that  it  might 
properly  be  called  a  language,  for  the  reason  that 
these  tribes  used  it  not  only  in  intercourse  with 
people  whose  oral  language  they  neither  spoke 
nor  understood,  but  for  everyday  intercourse 
among  themselves.  In  their  own  camps  and  fami 
lies  this  method  of  communicating  ideas  was  used 
so  constantly  that  it  became  a  natural  and  instinc 
tive  habit.  Col.  Richard  I.  Dodge,  whose  expe 
rience  among  the  Plains  Indians  was  perhaps 
greater  than  that  of  any  other  army  officer,  in  his 
book  entitled  "  Our  Wild  Indians,'7  published 
when  he  was  a  colonel  and  aide-de-camp  to  General 
Sherman,  suggests  the  origin  of  the  sign  language. 
He  says: 

"  All  the  Plains  tribes  depended  almost  entirely 
on  the  buffalo  for  everything.  That  animal,  in  his 
migrations  (going  north  in  the  spring,  and  south 
in  the  fall  and  winter) ,  was  exceedingly  erratic,  his 
visits  to  any  particular  section  of  country  depend 
ing  on  his  own  food  supply,  and  the  condition  of 
the  grass.  One  year,  the  country  of  a  tribe  of  In 
dians  might  be  overrun  by  herds  whose  numbers 
were  simply  incalculable;  the  next  year,  the  same 
territory  might  be  visited  by  scarcely  a  single  ani 
mal. 

"  If  the  buffalo  did  not  come  to  the  Indian,  the 
Indian  must  go  to  the  buffalo,  at  whatever  hazard. 
Runners  were  sent  out,  the  location  of  the  buffalo 
discovered,  and  long  journeys  were  made  by  tribes 
and  bands  into  countries  to  which  they  had  no 
claim. 

"  The  same  necessity  possibly  actuating  many 


538  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

bands  and  tribes,  the  country  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
buffalo  became  dangerous  ground.  The  tribe  or 
band  in  whose  territory  they  were,  regarded  the 
buffalo  as  their  own  property,  an  evidence  of  the 
favor  of  God.  They  resented  the  intrusion  of 
other  bands  and  hunting  parties,  not  only  as  kill 
ing  and  driving  off  their  property,  but  as  interfer 
ing  with  their  l  medicine, '  the  medicine  chief  tak 
ing  care  that  all  should  understand  that  his  influ 
ence  with  God  brought  the  buffalo.  Each  year,  the 
country  occupied  by  the  buffalo  became  a  vast  bat 
tle-ground,  the  proper  owners  attacking  the  inter 
lopers  at  every  favorable  opportunity. 

"  But  hunting  parties  met  other  hunting  par 
ties  of  tribes  not  hostile.  To  distinguish  between 
the  hostile  and  the  friendly,  and  to  communicate 
with,  and  possibly  make  common  cause  with  the 
latter,  some  means  of  intercourse  must  be  had. 
Not  being  able  to  speak  or  understand  each  other's 
language,  communication  was  had  by  signs. 

"  We  may  suppose  that  at  first  only  signs  most 
natural  and  expressive  were  used.  By-and-by 
other  signs  were  introduced,  always  conventional, 
but  becoming  more  and  more  arbitrary,  until  there 
resulted  a  means  of  communication  almost  as  per 
fect  as  if  each  understood  and  spoke  the  oral  lan 
guage  of  the  other. 

"  The  Plains  Indians  themselves  believed  that 
the  sign  language  was  invented  by  the_Kiowas, 
who,  holding  an  intermediate  position  between  the 
Comanches,  Tonkaways,  Lipans,  and  other  inhabi 
tants  of  the  vast  plains  of  Texas,  and  the  Pawnees, 
Sioux,  Blackfeet,  and  other  Northern  tribes,  were 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  539 

the  general  go-betweens ;  trading  with  all,  or  mak 
ing  peace  or  war,  with,  or  for,  any  or  all.  It  is 
certain  that  the  Kiowas  were  more  universally  pro 
ficient  in  this  language  than  any  other  Plains  tribe. 
It  is  also  certain  that  the  tribes  farthest  away  from 
them,  and  with  whom  they  had  least  intercourse, 
used  it  with  least  facility." 

Ceremonial  dancing  in  various  forms  was  a 
prominent  feature  in  Indian  life.  Those  tribes 
that  wrere  expert  horsemen  were  generally  sham 
bling  and  awkward  in  walking  or  running  on  foot, 
the  natural  result  of  their  being  almost  constantly 
on  horseback  from  childhood  to  old  age.  Indian 
dances  did  not  require  much  agility  on  the  part  of 
the  performers.  The  body  was  kept  stiff  and  the 
legs  were  moved  forward  and  back,  and  up  and 
down.  It  appeared  to  me  as  I  watched  the  dances 
of  Indians  that  every  dancer  cultivated  rigid  ac 
tion  of  the  muscles,  even  when  bending  over  or 
looking  skyward. 

As  to  the  scalp  dance,  I  doubt  if  many  white 
men  ever  witnessed  the  whole  performance.  Col 
onel  Dodge  in  his  book  gives  a  good  description  of 
that  ceremony.  He  says : 

"  The  day  after  the  return  to  the  home  encamp 
ment  of  a  successful  war  party,  by  which  scalps 
had  been  taken,  a  ceremony  was  performed  by  the 
warriors  who  took  them,  no  other  person  whatever 
being  permitted  to  be  present. 

"  I  have  been  a  spectator  at  a  distance,  but  all 
to  be  seen  was  a  number  of  Indians,  sitting  on  the 
ground  in  a  close  circle.  During  this  ceremony, 
the  scalps  were  trimmed,  cleared  of  all  fleshy  mat- 


540  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

ter,  and  the  skin  cured  by  some  process.  Each 
scalp  was  then  stretched  by  thongs  inside  of  a  hoop 
of  wood  a  little  larger  than  itself,  and  the  hair  was 
carefully  combed  and  greased.  Each  wrarrior  then 
attached  his  scalp  or  scalps,  in  their  hoops,  to  a 
peeled  willow  wand,  from  eight  to  ten  feet  long. 

"  This  ceremony  was  called  *  counting  the 
coups, '  and  was  i  Big  Medicine, '  that  is,  very  im 
portant  in  a  religious  point  of  view.  It  was  pre 
paratory  to  the  scalp  dance. 

1  i  When  it  had  been  satisfactorily  completed,  all 
the  warriors  marched  gravely  one  behind  the  other, 
back  to  camp,  each  bearing  his  wand  with  its  bur 
den  of  dangling  scalps  in  his  hand.  The  wands 
were  planted  in  a  circle  in  the  center  of  the  camp. 

"  By  this  time,  the  whole  population  of  the  vil 
lage  was  crowded  around  this  center  of  interest. 
The  warriors  who  took  the  scalps  were  now  joined 
by  those  who  had  taken  part  in  the  fight,  or  who 
belonged  to  the  party  which  did  the  fighting,  and 
thus  won  for  themselves  the  right  to  participate  in 
the  dance. 

"All  assembled  in  a  circle  around  and  facing 
the  circle  of  wrands.  At  a  signal,  all  the  warriors 
joined  hands,  and  commenced  the  monotonous  song 
and  dance,  turning  slowly  about  the  scalps.  As 
the  dance  progressed,  the  warriors  soon  loosed 
hands,  and  varied  the  song  by  whoops  and  yells, 
and  the  dance  by  bounds,  gestures  and  brandish 
ing  of  weapons,  working  themselves  up  to  a  condi 
tion  of  excitement  bordering  on  frenzy. 

"  The  eyes  of  the  spectators  were  strained  upon 
scalps  and  dancers  as  each  slayer  in  turn  sprang 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  541 

from  the  circle,  and  bounding  to  his  wand,  vaunted 
in  extravagant  terms  his  own  prowess,  and  acted 
over  again  the  taking  of  the  scalps. 

"  When  the  fortunate  takers  of  scalps  had  all 
exhausted  themselves  in  self -laudation,  others  of 
the  dancers  sprang  by  turns  into  the  circle,  each  ex 
plaining  by  what  unfortunate  interference  of  the 
'  Bad  God, '  he  was  prevented  on  this  occasion  from 
taking  a  scalp,  and  recounted  in  glowing  language 
his  successful  prowess  on  some  previous  occasion, 
or  what  he  proposed  to  do  at  the  next  opportunity. 
This  was  continued  until  each  dancer  had  full  op 
portunity  to  show  how  brave  and  great  a  warrior 
he  was.  Dancers  and  spectators  grew  wild  with 
excitement,  and  by  the  time  the  dance  was  over,  the 
whole  population  was  little  short  of  insane. 

"  This  nervous  intoxication  was  a  special  de 
light  of  the  Indians,  and  when  they  felt  like  indulg 
ing  in  it,  and  there  were  no  fresh  scalps,  they 
brought  out  some  old  ones,  and  went  through  with 
the  same  performance,  the  same  scalps  in  '  piping 
times  of  peace  '  being  made  to  do  duty  over  and 
over  again. 

"  I  have  been  told  that,  wild  as  the  dancers  ap 
peared  to  be,  each  knew  perfectly  well  what  he  was 
doing,  having  previously  in  some  solitude  gone 
over  his  speech  and  acted  his  part  time  and  again. 

"  I  was  once  spectator  at  a  scalp  dance  which 
was  a  special  and  exceptional  occasion,  for  not  only 
had  a  goodly  number  of  scalps  been  taken,  but  two 
prisoners  —  a  woman  of  about  forty,  and  boy  of 
twelve  years  of  age  —  were  to  grace  the  ceremony. 
The  peeled  wands  bearing  the  hoops  and  stretched 


542          MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

scalps  had  been  planted  in  a  circle  in  the  ground. 
The  prisoners  were  brought  by  the  warriors  who 
had  captured  them,  from  the  lodge  in  which  they 
were  confined,  and  forced  to  take  their  places  in  the 
circle,  their  hands  being  held  by  the  warriors  on 
each  side  of  them.  The  woman-prisoner  accepted 
the  situation,  and  in  looks  and  actions  appeared  to 
take  as  enjoyable  an  interest  in  the  dance  as  any  of 
the  proper  performers.  Not  so  the  boy ;  with  eyes 
downcast,  without  a  voluntary  motion  of  foot  or 
body,  he  was  dragged  around  the  circle,  taking  only 
such  walking-steps  as  were  necessary  to  avoid  being 
pulled  down.  All  the  turmoil  and  excitement 
failed  to  produce  on  him  the  slightest  effect.  Not 
once  in  the  dance  of  more  than  an  hour  did  he  lift 
his  eyes  to  the  scalps,  to  which  were  directed  all  the 
eyes  and  attention  of  his  captors,  nor  did  he  evince 
the  slightest  interest  in  any  of  the  proceedings. 

"  I  could  not  but  admire  the  proud  determina 
tion  of  one  so  young  to  resist  all  the  efforts  of  a 
crowd  of  enemies  to  force  him  into  even  a  sem 
blance  of  rejoicing  over  the  scalps  of  his  people, 
possibly  of  his  own  father." 

Medicine  bags  and  totems  were  common  among 
the  medicine-men.  The  necklace  of  human  fingers, 
a  facsimile  illustration  of  which  is  inserted  in  this 
volume,  belonged  to  the  principal  medicine-man  of 
the  Cheyennes,  from  whom  it  was  taken  in  Gen. 
MacKenzie's  battle  with  them,  which  I  have  al 
ready  mentioned.  It  is  described  as  follows  by  the 
late  Captain  John  G.  Bourke,  United  States  Army : 

"  Among  the  bitterest  losses  of  valuable  property 
suffered  by  the  defeated  Cheyennes  on  this  ocea- 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  543 

sion  were  the  two  necklaces  of  human  fingers  which 
came  into  my  possession,  together  with  the  small 
buckskin  bag  filled  with  the  right  hands  of  papooses 
belonging  to  the  tribe  of  their  deadly  enemies,  the 
Shoshones.  These  were  found  in  the  village  by 
one  of  our  scouts  —  Baptiste  Pourrier,  who,  with 
Mr.  Frank  Gruard,  was  holding  an  important  and 
responsible  position  in  connection  with  the  care  of 
the  great  body  of  Indian  scouts  already  spoken  of. 
From  these  two  gentlemen  I  afterwards  obtained 
all  the  information  that  is  here  to  be  found  regard 
ing  the  Cheyenne  necklace. 

"  The  second  necklace,  consisting  of  four  fin 
gers,  was  buried,  as  General  Crook  did  not  wish  to 
have  kept  more  than  one  specimen,  and  that  only 
for  scientific  purposes.  Accordingly,  the  necklace 
here  depicted  was  -  sent  first  to  the  United  States 
Military  Academy  at  West  Point,  N.  Y..  and  later 
to  the  National  Museum  at  Washington,  where  it- 
was  believed  it  could  better  fulfill  its  mission  of 
educating  students  in  a  knowledge  of  the  manners 
and  customs  of  our  aborigines. 

"  The  buckskin  bag,  with  the  papooses'  hands, 
was  claimed  by  the  Shoshone  scouts,  who  danced 
and  wailed  all  night,  and  then  burned  the  fearful 
evidence  of  the  loss  sustained  by  their  people. 

"  The  necklace  is  made  of  a  round  collar  of 
buckskin,  incrusted  with  the  small  blue  and  white 
beads  purchased  from  the  traders,  these  being  ar 
ranged  in  alternate  spaces  of  an  inch  or  more  in 
length.  There  are  also  attached  numbers  of  the 
perforated  wampum  shell  beads  of  native  manu 
facture.  Pendant  from  this  collar  are  five  medi- 


544  MY  LITE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

cine  arrows,  the  exact  nature  of  which,  it  was,  of 
course,  impossible  to  determine  from  the  owner 
himself.  Both  Frank  and  Baptiste  agreed  that  an 
arrow  might  become  * '  medicine  ' '  either  from  hav 
ing  been  shot  into  the  person  of  the  owner  himself 
or  into  the  body  of  an  enemy,  or  even  from  having 
been  picked  up  under  peculiar  circumstances. 
The  owner,  High  Wolf  or  Tall  Wolf,  admitted  as 
much  after  he  had  surrendered  at  the  Red  Cloud 
Agency  and  had  made  every  effort  to  obtain  the  re 
turn  of  his  medicine,  which  was  this  necklace. 

"  The  four  medicine  bags  to  be  seen  in  the  pic 
ture  are  worthy  of  attention.  They  were  carefully 
examined  under  a  powerful  glass  by  Dr.  H.  C.  Yar 
row,  United  States  Army,  in  the  city  of  Washing 
ton,  and  pronounced  to  be  human  scrota.  The 
first  of  these  contained  a  vegetable  powder,  some 
what  decomposed,  having  a  resemblance  to  hod- 
dentin;  the  second  was  filled  with  killikinnick;  the 
third  with  small  garnet-colored  seeds  like  the  chia 
in  use  among  the  Apaches,  and  the  fourth  with  a 
yellow,  clayey-white  vegetable  matter  not  identi 
fied.  The  fifth,  also,  remained  unidentified. 

"  Besides  the  above,  there  are  artificial  teeth, 
resembling  those  of  the  fossil  animals  abundant  in 
the  Bad  Lands  of  South  Dakota,  but  cut  out  of 
soft  stone. 

"  The  fingers  —  eight  altogether  —  are  the  left- 
hand  middle  fingers  of  Indians  of  hostile  tribes, 
killed  by  High  Wolf.  I  obtained  the  list  and  could 
insert  it  here  were  it  worth  while  to  do  so.  The 
fingers  have  not  been  left  in  the  natural  state,  but 
have  been  subjected  to  very  careful  and  elaborate 


(1)  NECKLACE  OF  HUMAN  FINGERS.  ARROW  HEADS  ANDTEETH, ATTACHED 

TO  A  BEADED  BUCKSKIN  COLLAR. 
(2)  NECKLACE  MADE  OF  THE  FIRST  JOINTS  OF  HUMAN  FINGERS. 

PHOTOGRAPHER    AND  PAINTED   FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  OBJECTS  EXPRLSSLY  FOR  THIS  WORK. 


AMONG  OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  547 

antiseptic  treatment  in  order  thoroughly  to  desic 
cate  them.  They  were  split  longitudinally  on  the 
inner  side,  and  after  the  bone  had  been  extracted, 
the  surface  of  the  skin,  both  inside  and  out,  re 
ceived  a  treatment  with  a  wash  or  paint  of  ocher- 
ous  earth,  the  same  as  is  used  for  the  face.  I  was 
told  that  the  bones  were  not  replaced,  but  that 
sticks  were  inserted  to  maintain  the  fingers  in 
proper  shape. 

"  Of  the  reason  for  making  use  of  such  a  trophy 
or  relic,  there  is  not  much  to  be  said ;  even  the  sav 
ages  know  little  and  say  less.  From  the  best  in 
formation  that  I  have  been  able  to  gather,  it  would 
seem  to  be  based  partly  upon  a  vainglorious  desire 
to  display  the  proofs  of  personal  prowess,  and 
partly  upon  the  vague  and  ill-defined,  but  deeply- 
rooted,  belief  in  the  talismanic  or  '  medicinal '  po 
tency  possessed  by  all  parts  of  the  human  body,  es 
pecially  after  death.  It  was  such  a  belief  that  im 
pelled  the  Mandan,  Aztecs,  and  others  of  the 
American  tribes  to  preserve  the  skulls  of  their 
dead  as  well  as  (among  the  Aztecs)  those  of  the 
victims  sacrificed  in  honor  of  their  gods. 

"  The  use  of  necklaces  of  human  fingers  or  of 
human  teeth  is  to  be  found  in  many  parts  of  the 
world,  and  besides  the  fingers  themselves,  we  find 
the  whole  arm,  or  in  other  cases  only  the  nails. 
The  Cheyennes  did  not  always  restrict  themselves 
to  fingers;  they  generally  made  use  of  the  whole 
hand,  or  the  arm  of  the  slaughtered  enemy.  In  a 
colored  picture  drawn  and  painted  by  one  of  them 
selves  I  have  a  representation  of  a  scalp  dance,  in 
which  the  squaws  may  be  seen  dressed  in  their  best, 


548  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

carrying  the  arms  of  enemies  elevated  on  high 
poles  and  lances.  There  is  no  doubt  in  my  mind 
that  this  custom  of  the  Cheyennes  of  cutting  off  the 
arm  or  hand  gave  rise  to  their  name  in  the  sign  lan 
guage  of  the  '  Slashers, '  or  '  Wrist  Cutters, '  much 
as  the  corresponding  tribal  peculiarity  of  the  Da- 
kotas  occasioned  their  name  of  the  '  Coupe  Gorge  ' 
or 'Throat  Cutters.' 

"  The  necklace  of  human  fingers  is  found 
among  other  tribes.  A  necklace  of  four  human 
fingers  was  seen  by  the  members  of  the  Lewis  and 
Clarke  expedition  among  the  Shoshones  at  the 
"headwaters  of  the  Columbia.  Early  in  the  spring 
of  1858,  Henry  Youle  Hind  refers  to  the  allies  of 
the  Ojibwa  on  Red  River  as  having  '  two  fingers 
severed  from  the  hands  of  the  unfortunate  Sioux. ' 

"  The  necklace  of  human  fingers  is  not  a  par 
ticle  more  horrible  than  the  ornaments  of  human 
bones  to  be  seen  in  the  cemetery  of  the  Capuchins 
in  Rome  at  the  present  day.  I  have  personally 
known  of  two  or  three  cases  where  American  In 
dians  cut  their  enemies  limb  from  limb.  The  idea 
upon  which  the  practice  is  based  seems  to  be  the 
analogue  of  the  old  English  custom  of  sentencing 
a  criminal  to  be  *  hanged,  drawn,  and  quartered. ' ' 


CHAPTER  XLII. 

CHARACTERISTICS    OF    AMERICAN    INDIANS,    CONTINUED  — 

THEIR  STOLIDITY,  SECRETIVENESS,  AND  HUMOR 

-INDIAN    SPIES  — CURIOUS    STORY 

TOLD  BY  A  KIOWA. 

How  Indians  Conceal  their  Real  Feelings  and  Intentions  —  Thievery 
as  a  Profession  —  Attempt  of  Satanta,  a  Kiowa  Chief,  to  Kill 
General  Sherman  —  His  Narrow  Escape  from  Death  —  Satanta's 
Fate  —  The  Instinct  of  Revenge  —  Expertness  of  Indian  Spies  — 
Surpassing  the  Feats  of  White  Men  —  Indian  Sense  of  Humor  — 
Laughing  at  the  Queer  Looks  and  Ways  of  White  Men  —  Making 
Merry  over  Whiskers  —  Bald  Heads  Versus  "  Forked  Tongues  " 
Story  of  the  Giant  Sinti  and  the  Prairie  Dogs  —  A  Good  Speci 
men  of  Indian  Fiction  —  Boisterous  Hilarity  of  Indians  —  The 
Spirit  of  Gambling  —  Barbarous  Cruelty  When  Intoxicated. 

MEN  of  limited  experience,  particularly  those 
who  have  suffered  from  Indian  depreda 
tions,  stoutly  declare  that  all  Indians  were 
stolid,  secretive,  and  treacherous.  It  is  true  that 
most  of  them  assumed  a  demeanor  intended  to  con 
ceal  their  real  feelings  and  intentions  when  they 
came  into  the  presence  of  white  men  whom  they  did 
not  kno\v,  or  into  association  with  Indians  who 
were  strangers  to  them.  But  when  well  acquainted 
with  each  other  and  confidence  was  once  estab 
lished,  all  stolidity  disappeared.  Some  Indians, 
like  the  Comanches,  were  taught  from  childhood  to 
be  secretive ;  and  they  practiced  thievery  all  their 
lives ;  but  this  habit  was  exercised,  as  a  rule,  toward 
their  recognized  enemies.  I  cannot  recall  any  case 
within  my  personal  experience  where  Indians 


550          MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

robbed  their  friends,  or  manifested  toward  them 
any  greater  secretiveness  than  we  white  men  do  to 
each  other  in  ordinary  business  life. 

I  have  seen  several  instances  of  treachery  of 
Indian  to  Indian,  and  of  Indians  to  white  men, 
like  that  shown  by  the  Modocs  about  the  time  Gen 
eral  Canby  was  killed,  but  these  instances,  those 
referred  to  included,  always  occurred  in  what  the 
Indians  considered  a  state  of  war.  According  to 
our  ideas  of  peace  and  war,  the  Indians  would  be 
condemned ;  we  often  thought  that  certain  Indians 
were  at  peace  when  they  were  actually  preparing 
for  a  hostile  foray,  or  were  in  the  frenzy  of  a 
warlike  outbreak. 

In  1874,  just  before  the  wild  flight  of  the  Kio- 
was  to  the  Plains,  when  several  army  officers  were 
at  Fort  Sill  to  have  a  talk  with  them,  Satanta,  a 
Kiowa  chief,  stood,  rifle  in  hand,  in  the  midst  of  a 
group  of  his  people.  The  commander  of  the  army, 
General  W.  T.  Sherman,  was  present.  Suddenly 
in  a  fit  of  rage  at  something  that  was  said  Satanta 
sprang  to  his  feet,  aimed  his  rifle  at  General  Sher 
man's  head  and  fired,  but  another  Indian  who  was 
friendly  struck  the  rifle  just  in  time  to  save  the 
General's  life.  Some  time  previous  to  this,  Sa 
tanta  had  been  imprisoned  for  leading  a  raid 
against  a  wagon  train  of  supplies  in  Texas,  in 
which  all  the  men  in  charge  of  the  wagons  were 
slain  and  the  mules  and  goods  carried  off.  To 
keep  the  Kiowas  from  an  outbreak  he  was  released 
on  parole.  He  was  again  imprisoned  after  at 
tempting  to  kill  General  Sherman.  This  time, 
feeling  that  there  was  no  hope  of  release,  he  sprang 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  551 

from  a  high  window  of  the  jail  in  which  he  was  con 
fined  and  ended  his  own  life. 

They  have  had  before  them,  permeating  their 
thoughts,  their  talk,  and  their  actions,  actual  causes 
of  war.  For  example,  if  a  white  man  killed  an  In 
dian,  and  had  taken  his  corn  or  tobacco,  or  had  ap 
propriated  to  his  own  uses  the  valley  where  he  had 
cultivated  small  patches  of  land,  to  the  Indian 
mind  the  cause  of  war  was  very  plain,  and  to  him 
it  already  existed. 

Before  an  outbreak  revenge  had  long  been  med 
itated  and  settled  on;  it  was  a  sacred  principle. 
The  Indian  who  did  not  seek  revenge  was  despised 
by  the  men  and  women  of  his  tribe.  This  disposi 
tion,  as  a  principle,  has  not  altogether  disappeared 
among  white  men.  In  our  mountain  country  it  is 
still  recognized  as  the  necessary  function  of  the 
head  of  the  family  as  against  another  and  rival 
family.  Christianity  has  not  yet  succeeded  in  fully 
eradicating  this  terrible  cause  of  feuds  among  some 
of  our  bravest  people.  Of  course  there  are  some 
qualities  that  Christianity  has  not  yet  removed 
from  the  human  heart.  Generally,  however,  white 
men  know  the  right  whether  they  do  it  or  not ;  but 
the  savage  has  conscientiously  adhered  to  the  prin 
ciple  of  merciless  revenge. 

In  my  experience  I  found  Indian  spies  to  be 
experts  in  their  profession  and  frequently  their 
performance  was  jriienomenal ;  they  always 
equaled  and  often  surpassed  the  best  feats  of  white 
men.  In  the  midst  of  war,  an  Indian  spy  would 
come  into  the  presence  of  a  hostile  commander 
with  a  plausible  story  and  a  look  of  innocence, 


552          MY   LIFE   AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

which  made  him,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  a  safe 
visitor.  He  would  gather  all  the  information  he 
wanted  and  easily  make  off  without  arousing  sus 
picion,  carrying  the  much-needed  information  to 
his  friends.  The  Indian  spy  was  generally  as 
handsome,  stalwart,  intelligent,  and  shrewd  as  any 
man  that  could  be  selected  for  a  dangerous  mission. 
Indeed,  he  rose  to  the  character  and  conduct  of  our 
most  famous  scouts  in  civilized  warfare.  He  was 
honored  during  and  after  the  war  as  our  spies  and 
scouts  never  have  been.  We  use  our  scouts  to  get 
for  us  all  needed  information,  and  when  their  work 
is  completed  we  treat  them  with  contempt. 

It  is  commonly  believed  that  the  Indians  have 
no  sense  of  humor.  This  is  far  from  true  of  the 
numerous  tribes  with  which  I  have  had  to  do.  Of 
course  there  were  different  ways  of  manifesting 
humor.  The  Nez  Perces  laughed  among  them 
selves  at  the  queer  looks  and  ways  of  white  visitors. 
,  They  made  merry  over  the  white  man's  odd  whis 
kers,  and  compared  his  forehead  to  the  peculiar 
front  of  some  bird,  or  pig,  or  sheep.  A  bald  head 
was  full  of  suggestions  to  them.  It  seemed  to  mean 
deception,  untruthfulness,  or  signified  what  they 
called  a  "  forked  tongue. "  These  conclusions  were 
derived  from  their  experience  with  bald-headed 
men  whom  they  had  met  in  council,  and  whose 
promises  were  never  fulfilled.  They  laughed 
heartily,  as  children  do,  at  small  accidents  which 
occurred  in  their  games  and  sports.  I  noticed 
everywhere  among  the  Nez  Perces  a  badinage  as 
frequent,  as  hearty,  and  as  amusing  as  that  among 
college  students  or  frisky  lads  at  play. 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  553 

A  prominent  character  in  the  humorous  stories 
of  the  Kiowas  was  Sinti,  whom  they  described  as  a 
long-legged  giant  with  an  insatiable  appetite,  and 
an  incurable  liar  and  trickster.  As  a  sample  of  the 
imaginative  productions  of  the  Kiowas,  and  of  their 
strong  sense  of  humor,  I  give  one  of  their  stories, 
as  told  by  Mr.  James  Mooney,  who  for  many  years 
lived  among  them,  with  facsimile  illustrations 
drawn  by  an  aboriginal  Kiowa  artist,  loaned  by  Mr. 
Mooney  to  illustrate  this  story : 

THE  STORY  OF  SINTI,  THE  PRAIRIE  DOGS,  AND  THE 
LAME  COYOTE. 

"  One  day  Sinti  was  out  walking,  with  his  club 
over  his  shoulder,  looking  for  something  to  eat. 
He  was  very  hungry,  for  he  had  tricked  the  animals 
so  often  that  most  of  them  now  managed  to  keep  a 
good  distance  away  from  him.  At  last  he  came  to  a 
prairie  dog  town.  The  dogs  were  not  much  afraid 
of  him  because  they  were  so  little,  hardly  a  mouth 
ful  apiece,  that  Sinti  had  never  thought  it  wrorth 
while  to  bother  with  them.  So  he  called  them  and 
said: 

"* Doggies,  nephews,'— Sinti  called  everybody 
nephew— l  wouldn't  you  like  to  learn  a  new  dance  ?  ' 

"  'Yes,'  said  all  the  little  dogs,  '  that  would  be 
nice. ' 

"  'All  right,  then.  I'll  sing  the  song  and  show 
you  how  to  dance,  and  then  you  stand  around  me 
in  a  circle  and  shut  your  eyes  and  sing  the  song 
after  me,  and  stamp  your  feet  the  same  way. ' 

"  So  the  prairie  dogs  formed  a  circle  around 
Sinti,  all  standing  on  their  hind  legs,  and  Sinti  be- 


554 


MY   LIFE   AND  PEKSONAL  EXPERIENCES 


gan  to  sing  the  song,  keeping  time  with  his  big  club 
like  a  rattle,  as  he  stamped  with  his  feet  upon  the 
ground  : 

"  '  Doggies,  doggies,  whisk  your  tails, 
Whisk  your  tails,  whisk  your  tails, 
Just  the  way  I  say/ 

"  It  was  a  very  pretty  song,  but  the  big  club 
frightened  the  prairie  dogs  and  they  were  almost 


THE  GIANT  SINTI  FOOLING  THE  PRAIRIE  DOGS. 

"  Doggies,  doggies,  whisk  your  tails  just  the  way  I  say." 
(Facsimile  of  an  original  drawing  made  by  a  Kiowa.) 

ready  to  run,  so  Sinti  said,  '  Don't  be  frightened, 
nephews;  that's  just  the  way  the  dance  goes.  Now 
shut  your  eyes  and  sing  with  me. ' 

"  So  they  all  shut  their  eyes  and  he  began  again : 
"  '  Doggies,  doggies,  whisk  your  tails/— 

but  every  time  he  stamped  his  foot  he  brought  his 
club  down  on  the  head  of  a  prairie  dog.  They 


AMONG   OUR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  555 

were  all  singing  so  loud  that  they  couldn't  hear  the 
squeak,  and  as  they  had  their  eyes  shut  they  didn't 
know  what  Sinti  was  doing,  until  one  little  dog  be 
gan  to  think  that  the  dance  was  lasting  a  long  time, 
so  he  peeped  out  of  one  eye,  and  there  he  saw  all 
the  rest  of  his  friends  stretched  out  dead  on  the 
ground  with  their  pawTs  up.  He  made  one  big 
jump  to  get  away  and  ran  for  his  hole,  with  Sinti 
after  him.  But  the  little  dog  got  there  first  and 
was  safe,  and  so  there  are  still  prairie  dogs  in  the 
world. 

"  Sinti  looked  into  the  hole  and  said  to  himself, 
i  That  little  dog  would  have  had  very  sweet  mar 
row,  but  I  guess  I  can  make  a  meal  from  the  others. ' 
So  he  walked  back  to  where  the  dogs  were  lying 
and  gathered  a  lot  of  wood  to  roast  them  in  their 
skins,  Kiowa  fashion. 

"  While  he  was  turning  them  over  the  fire,  up 
came  a  lame  coyote,  with  one  paw  held  up  from  the 
ground,  and  altogether  looking  very  poor  and  hun 
gry,  and  asked  Sinti  to  please  give  him  something 
to  eat. 

i ' '  Get  out ! '  said  Sinti,  '  run  and  get  your  own 
meat. ' 

" '  I  can't,'  said  the  coyote.  '  I've  broken  my 
leg  and  I  can't  run  fast  enough.' 

"'Very  well,  then,'  said  Sinti,  with  a  sneer, 
*  we  '11  race  for  it.  We  '11  run  to  that  hill  over  yon 
der,  go  around  it  and  run  back,  and  the  one  who 
gets  here  first  takes  the  meat.' 

"'But  I'm  lame,'  said  the  coyote,  '  and  you 
have  such  long  legs. ' 

" '  0,  well,'  said  Sinti,  'I'll  tie  stones  on  my 
ankles  and  then  we'll  be  even.' 


556 


MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 


"  So  Sinti  tied  two  big  stones  on  each  ankle, 
and  away  he  started,  with  poor  coyote  limping 
painfully  behind  as  well  as  he  could.  Sinti  quickly 
reached  the  hill,  although  the  stones  were  very 


THE  LAME  COYOTE  FOOLING  THE  GIANT  SINTI. 
(Facsimile  of  an  original  drawing  made  by  a  Kiowa.) 

heavy,  went  round  it  and  started  back  on  a  walk 
because  there  was  no  need  to  hurry  and  the  stones 
bothered  him.  At  last  the  coyote  reached  the  hill. 
Sinti  had  sat  down  to  rest  awhile,  and  looked 
around  to  see  how  the  coyote  was  getting  on,  and 
here  he  was  coming  on  at  a  gallop. 

"  The  coyote  wasn't  lame  at  all! 

"  The  next  moment  the  coyote  passed  him,  run 
ning  as  if  after  a  jack-rabbit.  Sinti  untied  the 
stones  from  his  ankles  as  quickly  as  he  could.  But 
it  was  too  late  now.  The  coyote  got  there  first, 
and  when  Sinti  arrived  there  was  nothing  left  but 
the  bones." 

The  wild  Apaches  talked  freely  about  matters 
pertaining  to  the  human  body  as  nobody  would  ven- 


INDIAN  AND  WHITE  SCALPS,  SCALPING  KNIVES,  SHEATHS, Bow, 
BOW-CASE  AND  QUIVER. ARROWS,  ETC  . 

PHOTOGRAPHED  AND  PAINTED  FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  OBJECTS  EXPRESSLY  FOR  THIS  WORK, 


AMONG   OITR   HOSTILE   INDIANS  559 

ture  to  do  in  polite  society,  but  to  them  there  ap 
peared  to  be  no  sense  of  vulgarity.  Some  Indians 
were' low  and  indecent  in  their  talk,  but  this  did  not 
come  so  much  from  their  own  ways  and  customs  as 
from  the  suggestions  of  degraded  white  men  who 
had  settled  among  them  and  taughf  them  such 
things.  They  were  only  trying  to  please  their 
teachers.  As  far  as  I  can  judge,  profane  expres 
sions  and  curses  were  invariably  learned  from 
white  men. 

Many  times  I  have  seen  Apache  chiefs  laugh  at 
sudden  surprises  until  they  could  hardly  breathe ; 
I  have  seen  them  roll  on  the  ground  and  bend  them 
selves  double  in  the  excess  of  their  merriment.  But 
after  all,  Indians  were  not  so  full  of  boisterous 
hilarity  at  all  times  and  upon  all  sorts  of  occasions 
as  Africans.  Strong  drink  developed  this  disposi 
tion  among  the  Indians,  and  in  the  beginning  of 
their  intoxication  they  seemed  greatly  to  enjoy  a 
good  time,  using  tizwin,  mescal,  or  corn  soaked  and 
fermented  when  the  white  man's  liquor  could  not 
be  obtained.  Under  the  influence  of  these  drinks, 
they  delighted  in  gambling  and  dancing;  yet  this 
hilarity  was  soon  followed  by  the  terrible  savagery 
that  strong  drink  always  awakened  in  them.  A 
drunken  white  man  is  hard  to  manage,  but  a 
drunken  Indian,  with  few  exceptions,  was  beyond 
control.  Nothing  appeared  to  give  him  greater 
satisfaction  than  acts  of  barbarous  cruelty  to  men 
and  animals.  All  who  have  had  any  experience 
with  Indians  will  admit  that  strong  liquor  never 
agreed  with  them. 

Fun  was  everywhere  observable  among  Indian 


560  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

children  who  were  healthful  and  free  to  act.  In 
dian  parents  were  seldom  cruel  to  their  children. 
They  loved  them  and  humored  them,  often  beyond 
reason,  yet  they  fiercely  demanded  such  obedience 
from  them  as  was  necessary  to  keep  a  child  quiet, 
or  to  make  a  child  do  what  he  was  reluctant  to  un 
dertake.  Parents  laughed  heartily  at  the  odd  ways 
and  unexpected  pranks  of  their  children.  Wher 
ever  I  succeeded  in  getting  the  good-will  of  the  chil 
dren  I  was  sure  to  have  the  women  on  my  side  for 
anything  that  I  desired  to  accomplish  in  the  inter 
est  of  the  government  or  of  the  Indians. 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 

CHARACTERISTICS    OF    AMERICAN    INDIANS,     CONTINUED  — 
ORATORS  AND  ORATORY  —  EXPERT  HORSEMAN 
SHIP—SURPRISES  AND  AMBUSCADES 
-FUTURE  OF  OUR  INDIANS. 

An  Indian  Council  Attended  by  the  President  of  the  United  States  — 
Characteristic  Indian  Oratory  —  Indian  Gestures  —  Peculiarities  of 
their  Speeches  —  Indian  Horses  and  Horsemanship  —  Method  of 
Breaking  and  Training  Colts  —  Severe  Cruelty  to  Animals  — 
"  Bucking  "  Ponies  —  A  Lesson  Learned  from  the  Indians  —  In 
dian  and  White  Riders  Compared  —  Organizing  an  Attack  on  a 
Wagon  Train  —  Averting  a  Threatened  Disaster  —  Curious  Way 
of  "  Trying  to  Please  Me "  —  Looking  Back  to  Early  Days  — 
Retrospection  —  Looking  Forward  to  the  Future  with  Hope  and 
Confidence. 

OUR  Indians  are  without  exception  natural 
orators.  President  Hayes  and  General 
Sherman,  with  several  officers  and  ladies, 
visited  the  Puyallup  Reservation  during  the  Presi 
dent's  tour  in  Oregon  and  Washington  Territory 
in  1880.  The  principal  chief  of  the  Puyallup 
tribe  and  several  heads  of  bands  took  their  turn 
during  a  formal  council  to  make  their  wants  known 
to  the  great  Father  of  the  Republic.  Surely  no 
Indians  ever  had  a  better  opportunity.  When  the 
council  was  over  the  President  said  to  me,  "  What 
remarkable  oratory !  There  is  no  hesitation.  Their 
gestures  are  always  natural  and  graceful,  and  not 
one  of  them  has  failed  to  make  a  good  speech.  Of 
course  I  judge  them  by  the  translations.  Their 
figures  of  speech  are  choice  and  well  carried  out. 


562  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

Indeed,  they  seemed  to  have  been  born  orators. " 
In  the  scores  of  councils  which  I  attended  I  always 
noticed  the  excellence  of  their  speeches.  Their 
metaphors  were  often  strong  and  always  pointed. 
An  Apache  chief,  observing  a  flinty  stone  which  I 
had  placed  on  the  mesa,  said:  "As  long  as  this 
stone  shall  endure  so  long  let  there  peace  between 


us.' 


Again,  when  the  prospects  of  a  lasting  peace 
between  the  Indians  and  the  white  men  were 
brightest,  the  same  chief  said:  "  Hereafter  the 
deep  canyons  shall  be  filled  up  and  the  crooked 
trails  shall  be  made  straight  for  the  white  man  and 
the  Indian." 

The  famous  Cochise  translated  the  Spirit's 
words  thus :  "  Hereafter  the  Indian  and  the  white 
man  shall  eat  bread  together."  The  oratory  of 
the  medicine  men  everywhere  was  more  remark 
able  and  more  influential  than  even  their  weird 
ceremonials.  Through  this  they  controlled,  com 
bined,  and  directed  movements  of  vast  extent  and 
consequence  in  all  the  Indian  wars  and  massacres. 

The  Plains  Indians  whom  I  met  always  had 
horses,  either  Indian  ponies  or  those  which  were  a 
cross  between  the  Indian  pony  and  the  American 
horse.  They  showed  great  skill  in  breaking  and 
training  them.  But  seldom  did  I  find  an  Indian 
boy  or  grown  man  of  these  tribes  who  was  kind  to 
his  horse.  The  severest  cruelty  was  exercised  in 
breaking  the  horse  to  the  bridle  and  the  saddle. 
An  Indian  did  not  spend  much  time  in  the  opera 
tion.  He  would  lasso  a  wild  one,  thrown  him  down 
and  bind  him,  never  letting  him  up  till  he  believed 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  563 

the  animal's  spirit  had  been  sufficiently  toned  down 
to  allow  him  to  mount  and  ride.  Sometimes  he 
would  tie  the  animal's  head  to  the  limb  of  a  tree, 
stretching  his  neck  into  a  painful  position,  and 
keep  him  so  during  an  entire  night.  By  morning 
the  horse  was  glad  enough  to  submit  to  anything, 
be  it  saddle,  or  bridle,  or  an  Indian  on  his  back. 
The  bona  fide  bronco,  after  a  few  days,  was  very 
likely  to  attempt  to  take  his  revenge  by  resorting 
to  the  well  known  trick  of  "  bucking."  He  would 
rear  again  and  again ;  he  would  kick,  round  up  his 
back  and  run,  often  in  a  circle,  as  soon  as  the  saddle 
touched  him.  For  this  outbreak  the  Indian  sub 
jected  him  to  new  and  severer  discipline,  which  was 
repeated  at  every  attempt  of  the  animal  to  assert 
his  independence.  The  Indian  would  mercilessly 
beat  him  and  tie  him  up  again  and  again  until  the 
beast  was  completely  subjugated. 

The  Nez  Perces,  Flatheads,  Cayuses,  Spokanes, 
and  Colville  Indians  were  much  kinder  to  their 
animals  than  the  Plains  Indians.  They  used  the 
same  methods,  however,  in  breaking  their  colts ;  but 
afterwards  they  did  not,  when  they  could  avoid  it, 
put  packs  or  saddles  upon  backs  that  were  galled 
and  raw  from  rough  usage.  They  divided  the  over 
worked  and  lame  ponies  into  separate  droves. 
When  moving  from  place  to  place  they  herded  and 
grazed  them  with  much  care,  even  in  a  trying  cam 
paign.  Many  a  good  horse  so  treated  was  in  a  few 
days  restored  to  full  vigor.  I  learned  from  the  In 
dians  to  husband  the  strength  of  my  own  horses  in 
a  similar  way.  We  could  not  do  this  of  course  un 
til  we  had  secured  animals  enough  for  extra 


564  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

mounts.  Chief  Joseph,  the  leader  of  the  Nez  Per- 
ces,  had  a  large  surplus  of  ponies  from  the  start, 
so  that  his  riders  could  change  horses  every  day, 
while  each  of  my  pursuing  cavalrymen  was  at  first 
allowed  but  one  horse.  I  soon,  however,  found  it 
necessary  to  increase  my  supply,  which  I  did  from 
the  half-breed  horses  I  found  while  marching 
through  Idaho,  Montana,  and  the  Dakotas. 

The  Comanches  led  every  other  tribe  in  horse 
manship.  They  had  the  swiftest  mounts  in  their 
races,  and  outstripped  American  riders  with  Amer 
ican  horses  every  time  they  had  a  trial.  Our  young 
officers  on  the  Plains  during  intervals  of  peace  were 
fond  of  trying  the  speed  of  their  horses  with  the 
war  chiefs  and  principal  men  of  the  Comanches, 
and  I  have  no  incident  on  record  in  which  these  In 
dians,  when  putting  forward  their  best  ponies,  did 
not  win  the  race. 

The  Comanches  were  like  the  Kurds  of  Eastern 
Turkey.  A  band  of  Comanches,  say  a  hundred 
strong,  beholding  afar  off  the  dust  of  a  wagon  train 
with  its  escort  and  a  guard  of  our  cavalry,  would 
manage  noiselessly  to  get  into  some  ravine  where 
they  could  easily  and  suddenly  descend  upon  the 
train.  They  would  do  this  so  quickly  and  conceal 
themselves  so  effectually  that  not  even  a  suspicion 
of  their  presence  was  aroused  until  a  body  of  them, 
without  apparent  order,  charged  like  a  whirlwind 
upon  the  escort  and  train.  They  would  shoot  as 
they  charged,  terrifying  and  stampeding  horses, 
mules,  or  oxen,  and  putting  everything  into  hope 
less  confusion  with  such  speed  that  none  but  an  offi 
cer  of  experience  was  able  to  withstand  them.  If 


llpflfill 


!l 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  567 

the  officer  rallied  his  cavalry  upon  a  knoll  near  by 
and  was  ready  for  a  counter-charge,  the  Indians 
cut  the  terrified  animals  loose  and  drove  them  off 
at  full  speed.  If  forced  to  abandon  them  the  Co- 
manches  would  disappear  as  quickly  as  they  came, 
always  bearing  away  their  wounded. 

I  once  watched  a  band  of  such  Indians  making 
preparation  for  a  charge  upon  a  mule  train  which 
had  a  small  guard.  My  influence  in  this  instance 
over  the  chief  prevented  the  disaster  that  was 
plainly  in  sight.  In  an  incredibly  short  space  of 
time  the  Indians  painted  their  faces  and  concealed 
themselves  in  a  convenient  ravine  just  behind  a 
line  of  foothills.  They  then  mounted  and  placed 
themselves  in  no  particular  order,  the  chief  being 
near  the  center  and  the  Indians  on  his  right  and 
left  and  rear,  but  so  that  every  man  had  sufficient 
room  to  turn  his  horse  in  any  direction.  Every 
man  was  armed,  some  with  carbines ;  the  chief  had 
a  rifle  which  he  had  taken  from  a  white  man,  and 
some  had  only  bows  and  arrows.  They  sprang  for 
ward  in  a  trot,  then  a  gallop,  and  then  a  fast  run, 
but  in  some  way  the  chief  was  able  to  stop  them  by 
a  signal  doubtless  agreed  upon  beforehand.  They 
came  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the  train  and 
must  have  startled  the  escort  and  drivers  beyond 
expression  at  their  wild  approach,  but  they  turned 
and  bore  off  to  the  right;  when  the  chief  joined  me 
he  smiled  and  said  it  would  have  been  good  sport, 
but  that  he  was  at  peace  now,  and  he  wanted  to 
please  me. 

My  earliest  knowledge  of  Indians  greatly  preju 
diced  me  against  them.  My  grandfather,  a  man  of 


568          MY   LIFE   AND   PERSONAL   EXPERIENCES 

the  olden  time  when  Indians  were  very  trouble 
some,  had  nothing  good  to  say  of  them.  His  ex 
perience  in  fights  with  them  was  not  to  their  ad 
vantage.  Their  war-paint,  their  depredations, 
their  knives,  tomahawks,  bows  and  arrows,  and 
wild  life  were  the  themes  of  common  conversa 
tion.  In  his  day  their  conversion,  instruction,  and 
up-building  were  very  little  considered.  The  gen 
eral  purpose  of  our  people  was  then,  as  it  has  been  ' 
all  along,  to  conquer  them  in  battle,  drive  them  out, 
or  exterminate  them,  in  order  that  savagery  might 
give  place  to  civilization. 

A  few  men  believed,  and  I  came  in  time  to  join 
them,  that  a  portion  of  them  might  be  civilized  and 
made  respectable  citizens;  but  that  was  not  the 
general  conviction  of  the  white  man  at  the  begin 
ning  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

Osceola  and  his  followers  had  a  special  griev 
ance.  They  wished  to  preserve  their  habitations 
and  they  fought  hard  against  being  sent  off  beyond 
the  Mississippi.  Osceola  was  brave,  wary,  re 
vengeful,  and  able,  but  in  time  he  and  his  followers 
were  obliged  to  give  way  before  the  white  men. 
Whites  began  the  Seminole  war.  General  Sher 
man  used  to  say  that  they  began  every  war.  This 
one  they  commenced  by  publicly  whipping  five  In 
dians.  All  of  the  Indian  outrages^  including 
Dade's  massacre,  followed  that  shame  which  no 
Indian  would  bear. 

Wild  Cat's  dissipation  was  brought  on  by  sol 
diers  and  whisky  dealers.  Through  them  the 
Florida  Indians  were  corrupted,  and  after  a  time 
were  ahvays  at  war.  White  men  killed  them  on 


AMONG  OUR  HOSTILE  INDIANS  569 

sight,  and  the  Indians  naturally  retaliated,  burnt 
houses,  and  killed  everything  that  had  life,  espe 
cially  human  beings.  If  they  spared  the  live  stock 
of  the  country  it  was  to  carry  it  off  for  their  own 
use.  In  fear  of  them,  treaties  were  made  with  a 
view  to  move  them  westward.  Surely  our  action, 
legislative^  and  executive,  was  usually  hostile— 
never  really  friendly,  Indians  were  feared  and 
they  were  hated. 

In  my  own  time  Billy  Bowlegs  led  a  remnant  of 
the  Seminoles  to  war,  they  having  risen  up  to  dis 
pute  the  treaty ;  they  raided  the  settlements,  as  the 
Indians  before  them  had  done;  they  waylaid  the 
stage  lines ;  now  and  then  they  killed  a  settler ;  after 
that  our  army  was  brought  in  to  crush  them.  Vol 
unteers  and  regulars  made  it  almost  impossible  for 
Indians  to  live.  The  volunteers  were  especially 
unscrupulous  and  unsparing  of  human  life.  From 
my  observations  then  and  there,  the  war  that  raged 
in  1856  and  1857  was  dreadful.  This  encounter 
ended  in  our  superior  force  getting  the  advantage 
and  enforcing  its  demands.  All  other  Indian  wars 
began,  continued,  and  ended  in  the  same  way. 

It  does  not  seem  to  be  difficult  to  teach  Indian 
boys  and  girls  of  every  tribe  our  code  of  morals, 
and  they  appear  to  be  as  conscientious  as  other 
children  in  the  observance  of  Christian  precepts. 
The  most  pronounced  success  in  moral  and  Chris 
tian  teaching  is  where  the  children  are  separated 
from  the  degrading  influences  of  their  rough  life. 
I  have  noticed,  however,  that  the  educated  young 
Indian  is  always  troubled  about  the  condition  of 
his  own  tribe  or  people,  and  greatly  desires  their 


570  MY  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

amelioration.  One  of  them  said  to  me  at  Carlisle, 
6 '  Why  cannot  my  people  be  more  independent  ? 
Why  can  they  not  take  care  of  themselves  ?  Why 
is  it  necessary  to  throw  meat  to  them  as  to  dogs  "? 
Surely  the  best  way  is  for  all  the  children  somehow 
to  learn  and  practice  self-support." 

I  need  not  prolong  this  chapter  further.  It  is 
my  hope  and  belief  that  a  remnant  of  the  American 
Indians  will  be  saved,  perhaps  not  in  any  tribal 
way,  but  in  communities  and  villages  such  as  I  have 
referred  to  in  the  preceding  pages.  It  is  a  slow 
process  to  get  entirely  rid  of  the  old  savagery  and 
all  that  goes  with  it,  and  the  development  is  not 
rapid  even  among  the  best ;  but  it  is  going  on,  and 
there  are  today  hundreds  of  communities  where 
Indians  are  living  in  comparative  comfort,  and 
their  children  are  looking  forward  with  hope  and 
confidence  to  a  reasonable  prosperity.  May  the 
time  never  come  when  Christian  people  shall  forget 
to  help  those  who  are  lowly  and  slower  than  them 
selves  to  attain  unto  the  blessings  of  a  civilized  and 
Christian  life. 

THE  END. 


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